Injury is the bane of the professional athlete. Greg Oden knows this better than anyone. He once had the basketball world at his fingertips, but persistent injuries have kept him from ever getting close to his potential. His is a tragic story of wasted talent, but there may be a redemptive turn in his tale yet.

Flashback to 2007. Greg Oden is one of the highest rated college stars in years. He was a unanimous first team All American pick in his freshman year, one of only four men in history, along with Kevin Durant that same year, to achieve this. In his time at both high school and college, Oden never lost a home game. He entered the NBA draft amidst much expectation. The Portland Trail Blazers had the first pick, and it was the 7 foot centre Oden that they chose, leaving Kevin Durant to be selected by Oklahoma City as the second pick. Blame it on a simple twist of fate.

Oden had had surgery on his wrist at college, but it wasn’t until he made the step up to the pros that his injury issues really surfaced. Within four months of being drafted, Oden suffered a serious knee injury which would cost him his entire rookie season. He returned out of shape the next year, and had to leave his NBA debut game against the Lakers after 13 scoreless minutes with a foot complaint. Two weeks later he was back and managed to get a promising run of games in before missing another three weeks with a chipped knee cap. He played 61 games in that 2008/09 season, but early in the next season he was stretchered off with another damaged knee. He has not played since. Kevin Durant, meanwhile, is the undisputed second best player in the NBA, and a multiple scoring champion.

Portland fans may be rightfully aggrieved at how things turned out. Had they drafted Durant, who knows where they’d be today? But then who could have foreseen how Oden’s situation would unfold? There is a valuable lesson here about prospects and planning for the future. You can never predict these things; there is no sure science. LeBron James came along as the best high school basketballer in a generation, but he could easily have fallen off the tracks at any number of times. Remember when everyone thought him a choke artist after the 2011 finals? That could have been his legacy. Michael Jordan was drafted second overall, just like Durant. Portland made the pick that they believed, after extensive research and scouting, was the best selection for the team then and for the future. But the best laid schemes of mice and men, as they say, often go awry.

Now Greg Oden, a free agent since being waived by Portland early last year, has agreed a two year deal with the two time defending champion Miami Heat as he strives to salvage his once bright career. A number of teams were looking for Oden’s signature, but the man himself has made a smart move in picking a team where personal expectations will be low. It’s a move that promotes many questions, though. Can Oden recapture some of that promise? Will he be able to make a difference at all for Miami? Will he even make it on the court? Well, a team in Miami’s position has the luxury of being able to take such a gamble. They’ll be lucky if he ever regains half of the fleeting dominance he once showed, but this is a high upside move, with little to lose.

Oden, meanwhile, knows how fragile a sporting career can be. He’s given himself the best chance to win a title, if nothing else. Most likely scenario, he’s a bit part bench player. Miami will be hoping for a guy who can have an impact as a depth guy something like Birdman Andersen provided last year. This all depends on his health though. Oden played 82 games for Portland, the equivalent of one full season, over five years. He’s just 25 now, but how will his fragile, pain-ravaged body hold up on the court? There is an enormous difference between being gym fit and match fit.

Sporting prodigies can go bust for a number of reasons. Some can’t handle the step up mentally. They never adjust to the demands of professional sports. Others simply weren’t as talented as projected. Technical shortfalls were missed or overlooked and their game just doesn’t compute with the big boys. Then there are those for whom the lifestyle is too much, and the trappings of fame become their downfall. Saddest of all are those like Greg Oden who had everything it took to be great, but compounding physical setbacks took their toll. Here’s hoping Greg Oden can make something of this chance for redemption that he’s been given. But I won’t be holding my breath.

- Wildcard