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Greg Oden had one of the most heartbreaking careers in the NBA. Oden was considered the top prospect in the 2007 NBA Draft class and was even picked ahead of Kevin Durant as the first overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. But his career never got off to a start, and he found his way out of the league in just 7 years.

And since then, he has gone into retirement, walking away from the game he was projected to be a big star of. One interaction from a YouTube video once saw Oden in his post-basketball life, and that interaction was a truly heartbreaking one for NBA fans to witness.

In a prank video, a grandmother was sent to Ohio State, the university where Oden was studying. During the video, the grandmother asked Oden whether he played basketball, to which he sadly replied 'I used to'. She then jokingly responded that she could beat him in a game, as Oden walked away cracking a light smile (0:47 mark). 

Grandma: "Do you play basketball?"

Oden: "I used to."

Grandma: "I could beat you."

Oden clearly was amused by the interaction. But NBA fans in the comments section couldn't help but note how dismayed and dejected he looked when the question was posed. Some even mentioned that it was an interaction that broke the hearts of many NBA fans watching the video.

When she asked Greg oden if he plays basketball and he said “I used to” was soul crushing.

Greg Oden is really humble. Instead of “I was the first pick nba draft” he just said “I use to play.”

I m so sorry for Greg Oden...he’s so humble doe

You can see the sadness in odens eyes when he walk away after he replied “i used to”.

Low key sad how Greg oden said “I used to”... you can tell he’s still hurt about his career

Greg Oden is so humble man god bless him and his family dude been through alot and now hes doing big things much respect

Didn’t you feel a little bit guilty for possibly hurting Greg Oden’s heart.

YO!! That was Greg Oden at 0:52!!! I loved watching him play so much, so sad that injuries ruined him....

greg oden! i still rock his jersey, i hope he continues to progress in his coaching career and in life :)

Damn. Why she gotta do Greg Oden like that:(

how the hell did they just happen to come across Greg Oden lol

It’s hurts knowing Greg Oden coulda been a good nba player but had to many injury’s. He was prolly thinking about it.

Was that Greg Oden? Holy sh*t I'm glad he's going back to school

Oden is one of the 5 first overall picks in NBA history who has played the least amount of games in his first three seasons in the NBA. And Oden struggled for years to try and stay healthy and play for the Portland Trail Blazers. And while he eventually got the chance to play for the Heat, it ended up being his final season in the NBA.

Oden has been focused on finding the next step of his career over the last few years, and he wants to be able to do going forward. He has tried venturing into coaching but hasn't made any significant moves yet. Hopefully, Oden finds happiness in his next venture. 

This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.

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