Enthusiastic as he might be, Greg Oden is planning to take things slow as he prepares for his first NBA action since 2009 when the world champion Miami Heat open training camp this week.
Despite working out with MVP LeBron James at American Airlines Arena for the last two months, Oden told the Florida Sun Sentinel he realizes patience remains a priority as he prepares to mark his official NBA return.
"Really, for me, I'm happy being on the court and playing and getting back into the thick of basketball," he told The Sentinel. "I bang a little bit, still taking it slow. I'm taking steps. So I do a little bit, do a little bit of up and down, but we're not trying to wear out the knee. We're trying to make sure I can do a little bit and the next day I can do something too."
James took Oden under his wing soon after the Heat announced they had signed the oft-injured former top pick to provide muscle along their undersized frontline.
It's been nearly four years since Oden, who has had extensive surgery on both his knees, engaged in such strenuous activities. But with his knees now healthy and motivated by James, the Heat are hoping for returns on the one-year deal they inked with the 25-year-old.
At the time of the signing, Oden told USA Today he felt the Heat "knew what was best for him." He later added "when I had a conversation with Coach [Erik] Spoelstra, hearing how much he knew about the training stuff that I was already doing... that was a big deciding factor."
Now he has the added motivation of the league's four-time MVP telling him just how much he needs him to make good on his efforts to become just the second player since the Michael Jordan era (Kobe led the Lakers to three straight titles from 2000 to 2002) to lead a team to a NBA three peat.
"I'm not going to sit here and say I'm 100 percent," Oden told the newspaper. "But I'm moving well and I'm feeling good."
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