Former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden has opened up about one of the more surprising chapters of his NBA career, revealing how he and Michael Beasley deliberately stayed away from Miami’s famous nightlife during their time with the Miami Heat.
Speaking on The Pivot Podcast, Oden explained that after years of injuries, setbacks, and off-court struggles, he approached his stint with the Heat differently. Instead of taking advantage of South Beach’s endless nightlife options, he and Beasley chose to stay inside and drink Hennessy at home.
“I was just happy to be back on the team. I was happy to have some new brothers. I was happy to play basketball again. Believe me, I was scared of the city. I gave myself one day a week, and that’s usually me going to Prime just to have dinner. I rarely went out.”
“I went to the Denny’s before it got torn down. I was up in there getting the All-American every Friday when we were in town. I didn’t look at it as confidence. I looked at it as, I wasn’t going to f**k this up. Because they had just won two championships.”
“I know y’all have met with Beasley before. I don’t think he told y’all, but when we had off days, me and that motherf***er sat in his house and my house drinking a bottle of Hennessy. Because we were like, we’re not going to get in trouble again. He already had his first stint there. And I’m like, s**t, I’m just happy to get another opportunity, so I’m not going to f**k this up. We ain’t going to go out. We ain’t going to be seen out. “
“I remember when I was in Portland, every time I did something, I felt like I had to have a meeting with the GM. Every day I’m walking in and hearing, ‘Yeah, I heard you were here. I heard you were there.’ And I felt like a little f***king kid.”
For Oden, the opportunity with Miami represented a second chance at an NBA career that had been derailed by injuries. After being selected first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007 ahead of Kevin Durant, Oden battled numerous knee injuries that limited him to just 105 NBA games across seven seasons.
When he signed with the Heat in 2013, Miami was coming off back-to-back championships led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Oden knew he could not afford another mistake.
Oden’s comments add another layer to a difficult personal journey that he has discussed extensively in recent months. During the same podcast appearance, he revealed that at one point, he was taking Advil PM, Benadryl, Tylenol PM, ZzzQuil, Percocet, and Vicodin just to get four hours of sleep. He also spoke about battling addiction issues, depression, and the pressure that came with being labeled one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history.
Despite those struggles, Oden remains proud of the comeback he managed to make. Earlier in the interview, he rejected the ‘biggest bust’ label and pointed out that he still fought his way back to the league and even appeared in the NBA Finals with Miami in 2014.
The Heat ultimately fell to the San Antonio Spurs in that Finals series, but for Oden, simply making it back to basketball’s biggest stage represented a victory.
His story serves as a reminder that for some players, survival in the NBA is about far more than points, rebounds, or championships. Sometimes it’s simply about getting another opportunity and doing everything possible not to lose it.
