LOS ANGELES -- Greg Oden is itching to get his delayed NBA career going, but he's still forbidden from any 5-on-5 action until September.
Oden's rookie season was over before it even started when he had right knee surgery last September. Recovery can take six months or more, and the Portland Trail Blazers decided their No. 1 pick would sit out the season.
"I'm still rehabbing, but I'm ready to play," Oden told the Associated Press on Wednesday while in Los Angeles to attend the ESPY Awards. "I can work out, I can lift, no 5-on-5, no 3-on-3. That's where everything is going, towards me being able to play when the season starts, but I'm ready."
He said he expects to be cleared to play again in September.
Until then, Oden is taking a summer school biology class at Ohio State, where he left after leading the Buckeyes to the 2007 national title game -- a loss to Florida.
"I'm still classified as a freshman," the 7-footer said, grinning.
Being back on campus, though, is a constant reminder that he can't play basketball just yet.
"Those guys are playing pickup games and the freshmen are coming in going, 'Oh Greg, I'll beat you,'" he said. "I'm like, 'Just let me go one day.'"
Oden called his rehabilitation "tough and long," but he said his teammates kept him in the loop last season.
"It wasn't like I could even get down because I was always around the guys," he said. "I feel like I'm part of the team."
Having Seattle lose its NBA franchise to Oklahoma City, Oden expects to see "a lot more people in Seattle coming down to Portland."
Oden plans to pursue a degree during his offseasons. He's undecided on a major, but he wants to do something with food.
"They don't have a culinary degree at Ohio State, so I figure nutrition and then try to do something with that," he said. "I like to cook, I like food."
Asked his specialty in the kitchen, Oden paused and said, "Hamburger Helper and tuna fish."
Told that he should cook from scratch, he replied, "I like the recipes, I can follow a recipe. From what I hear, a lot of people can't, so that's a step up."
maby93 
