NBA player Greg Oden arrested for allegedly punching ex-girlfriend

MANILA, Philippines – Greg Oden, the top overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and a former Ohio State Buckeyes star was arrested on Thursday morning (Thursday evening in PH time), August 7, for allegedly punching his ex-girlfriend, according to reports.

“No weapons involved at all, this would be considered a misdemeanor battery incident at this point, again all the information we presented to the Marion County Prosecutor’s office for a final charging decision,” mentioned Lawrence Police Chief Gary Woodruff in a report by fox59.com.

According to the police department, the incident took place during the wee hours of Thursday morning in Lawrence, Kansas. 

Upon arriving at the 7200 block of Maple Bluff Place at about 3:30 AM EST (3:30PM PH time), police officers found a woman lying down, her face covered in blood.

A witness of the incident, who claims to be the best friend of the victim, saw what had transpired and reported the happenings to the police.

“He (Oden) punched her in the face,” the witness said. “My hand hurts and I just want to go home.”

The victim, on the other hand, refused to cooperate with the police regarding the incident and refused medical attention as well. Blood was also spotted on the sofa and floor, and a smashed flower pot was visible. 

Oden, who dated the woman for two years, was cooperative and took full responsibility for his actions: “I was wrong and I know what has to happen.”

The couple separated two months before Thursday’s incident.

A relative of Oden’s was also present during the fiasco. According to the NBA big man, things got heated between he and the victim during an argument – which occasionally takes place, according to Oden’s relative. 

Oden was taken into custody and was “calm, apologetic, and cooperative,” according to the police. 

Oden had a highly successful college career with the Buckeyes in the NCAA but his NBA tenure has been plagued with multiple knee injuries, causing him hundred of missed games in the process.

After getting released by the Portland Trailblazers, Oden was signed by the Miami Heat in the summer of 2013. The Ohio native went on to play in 23 regular season games and 2 playoff games with the franchise in the 2013-2014 NBA season, averaging 2.9 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 9.2 MPG of action. – Rappler.com