Greg Oden Waived by Blazers: 5 Promising NBA Careers That Went Bust

The Portland Trailblazers waived center and former No. 1 pick Greg Oden yesterday, which may be the end to a disappointing NBA career that had potential but was marred by injuries.

Oden has had two microfracture surgeries in his career along with other operations, including a procedure to treat a fractured kneecap.

He was sidelined for this season and had not played in a game since 2009. Oden also missed his rookie campaign due to injury.

Here are five other NBA careers that didn't pan out as expected:

1. Sam Bowie

This was an earlier -- and much bigger -- mistake made by Portland in the 1984 draft. With the No. 2 pick, the Trailblazers passed on some guy named Michael Jordan, who only went on to become one of the greatest to ever play the game. Meanwhile, Bowie's career was plagued by injuries and his only claim to fame is being arguably the worst draft pick in NBA history.

2. Len Bias

Drafted No. 2 by the Boston Celtics, Len Bias had incredible potential as a star at the University of Maryland. But his NBA career never got off the ground, when he died of a cardiac arrhythmia caused by a cocaine overdose two days after the 1986 draft.

3. Michael Olowokandi

The Candy Man was the first overall pick of the 1998 draft, selected by the Los Angeles Clippers. Olowokandi had a disappointing NBA career, averaging 8.3 points and 6.8 rebounds a game over nine seasons.

4. Kwame Brown

Kwame Brown was selected with the first pick in the 2001 draft by Michael Jordan, who was team president for the Washington Wizards. While Jordan had a stellar playing career, his talent evaluation skills took a hit over selecting Brown out of high school. Although Kwame Brown is still in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks, he hasn't lived up to his potential, averaging 6.8 points and 5.6 rebounds a game.

5. Bryant Big Country Reeves

Nicknamed Big Country because of his imposing stature [Reeves was 7-feet tall and weighed nearly 300 pounds] and Oklahoma roots, Bryant Reeves was the first player taken by the Vancouver Grizzlies [now the Memphis Grizzlies] franchise, selected with the sixth pick in the 1995 draft. Reeves wasn't the ideal pick to start a franchise, as he was out of the league after six seasons due to weight issues and averaged 12.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and .8 blocks a game.