The Miami Heat are set to begin their quest to pull a three-peat in 2013. The team is set with pretty much familiar faces on the roster, while one new guy is already earning praise from his teammates. Greg Oden is returning for three-years off rehabbing numerous knee surgeries that almost ended his NBA career before it even starter. Now with the Miami Heat, the center is doing everything he can to be healthy before the season starts. That includes working out with LeBron James.
Oden signed a one-year contract with just over a million bucks with a player option for the 2014 season. Everything is dependent on his health and whether or not he can actually be productive on the court. What better way to prepare for the year than with the best player in the league, James.
James tweeted out a picture of he and Oden in the weight room, referring to the center as his long lost brother. James is supposedly a strong workout partner. Kevin Durant spent some time with the superstar during the 2011 summer and that worked out well for him. Oden has only played in 82 games since being drafted in 2007. He needs all the work he can get.
As two young stars prepare for another season in the league, another Heat star is recognizing when his time in Miami is up. Veteran Shane Battier told a local Miami paper that he believes the 2013 season could be his last. The 35-year old is entering the final year of his contract while seeing his role with the team continue to shrink.
"I'm realistic to where I am at this point in my life," Battier told the Sun Sentinel. "I'd like to finish my contract strong with the Miami Heat, and then we'll see where we go. This door is always open. This is not a farewell tour, no. But if it is, it is. And I'll enjoy this year and try to make the most of it."
Battier came up big during the NBA Finals for the Heat. When the team needed size, he was there. Pairing Battier with someone like Oden could be what the team needs to fend off emerging programs like Indiana.
The road to an NBA Championship still goes through Miami as far as these players are concerned. Battier might be entering his final year, but the goal to win another title is still the same.
