Greg Oden

“I wish I was always photogenic.”

“Everyone else has days when they don't want to smile, when you just want to come in and be regular.”

“When I get 100 percent, and I get to improve on the court, I feel I can be an All-Star.”

“There's been so many times when I've heard people not pulling for me. So I just play and try not to think about it.”

“I know we're going to be connected for a long time, Kevin Durant and Greg Oden. He's a really, really good player. I'm a pretty decent player. So I hope things work out.”

“I'll be remembered as the biggest bust in NBA history. But I can't do nothing about that.”

“You gotta be nice. The way I look at it, why not be a nice guy to people?”

“It's a game. Don't put too much pressure on yourself that you can't have fun.”

“It wasn't like I was clinically depressed, but I was so down. I think I was probably depressed. Nothing went my way since college, and I put my head down and kind of pitied myself. That wasn't the right way to go.”

“My favorite player, growing up, was David Robinson. He was really the first person that I actually knew about and actually watched.”

“My cousin got wrapped up in the NBA lifestyle and threw parties at my house all the time. So I got wrapped up in it, too.”

“My mom didn't have a lot of money.”

“Me being in shape allows me to be more mobile and do better things, make bigger plays.”

“When my knee feels good, I'm always going to feel I can do more.”

“I could've signed with a team after Portland cut me and just sat on the bench and collected paychecks, but that's not my style. That just seems really unethical. Besides, money doesn't matter to me. I've got enough money.”

“If you're out there, and you can't do it, that makes you a bust. Well, I was never really out there. I was never Greg Oden in the NBA.”

“My dream is to be able to play basketball, and if I can go out there and do it, run up and down, and come off the court again healthy, that's goal one.”

“Is there any proof that I'm a bust? All there is proof of is that I have bad luck with injuries.”

“For starters, Portland isn't a great city to live in if you're a young, African American male with a lot of money. But that's especially true if you don't have anybody to guide you.”

“Everybody would love to be able to be great and make it to the NBA All-Star Game as a rookie. I mean, that is everybody's goal.”