Greg Oden Doubtful for U.S. Training Camp for Olympics
Oden is still recovering from his tonsillectomy, but he plans on being ready for the season.

Greg Oden. No. 1 pick. Franchise-changing big man. The future (and maybe the present as well) of the center position.

But you wouldn't know it from talking to the guy. He doesn't carry himself like the next big thing. He's a humble dude. And during the 8 1/2 hour Rookie Photo Shoot on Friday, he never refused an autograph or interview request. After observing him for a while, someone I know said that he was almost nice to a fault, and felt bad about asking him a few questions about his rookie experience.

I felt similarly, but I conducted the following Q & A anyway. It's not often you get a chance to talk to the No. 1 pick one-on-one, and considering that I'll be writing about rookies all season long, I needed to take advantage of the opportunity to get to know Greg Oden a little better.

In general, the draft class of 2007 is a bunch of really good guys, and the biggest name of them all is no different. Despite all the hype that has surrounded him over the last several years, he has stayed grounded. And from what he has to say about family, both his blood relatives and his teammates, you can tell that they're the source of his self-effacement.

NBA.com: First of all, how are you feeling these days? Are you fully recovered from the tonsillectomy?

Greg Oden: I'm not full recovered. I'm still about a week and half [away]. But I can still eat stuff, because I got a tolerance for pain. But I'm not recovered yet. There are still some points in my day where I'm just struggling.

NBA.com: Are you able to work out at all?

Greg Oden: They tell me about two weeks. I'm gonna start working out on Monday.

NBA.com: Were you able to watch the USA Basketball scrimmage last weekend?

Greg Oden: I couldn't find it. I was in the hotel room and they didn't have NBA TV.

NBA.com: I assume that you heard that Kevin [Durant] played real well. Are you a little jealous that you weren't able to be there?

Greg Oden: I was. I wanted to be in that experience, but I also knew that I need to rest up for the season. It's a great honor, but for me, it's just about the season. So, to take the time to get some rest for the season was more important.

NBA.com: So, will you be at the second session?

Greg Oden: I may not. Just because of my tonsils and I want to be ready for the season.

NBA.com: (Pointing at the "Always There" tattoo on Oden's left shoulder) What does that particular tattoo signify?Greg Oden: The only tattoos I have are family names, and then I have "'Til we meet again" for my best friend who passed away. Then I have "Always There", which refers to that I'm always there for my brother, who I have on my heart. Then, I have my grandmother, my grandfather, my mom and my dad. So, it's always there for my family, who are all on my back.

NBA.com: Are you taking any family with you to Portland ?

Greg Oden: I'm taking a cousin of mine and a friend of mine from high school. They're just gonna help me out with random stuff. My mom is really the overseer of my business. But once my best friend died, I couldn't go out to where I was going alone. And I asked my cousin, who's the person I was closest with, and a friend of mine.

NBA.com: So, do you feel like you could have done better in the two summer league games you played? Or do you just forget about it, knowing you weren't 100 percent?

Greg Oden: I couldn't breath for one. But I was really nervous. I was just like ... really jacked up from all the stuff that's been going on. That's why I'm taking this time for me to rest, so I can relax myself and get ready for the season.

NBA.com: How are you going to avoid it when the regular season comes? Do you feel like you've gotten that nervousness out of the way?

Greg Oden: (Smiles) That's what I'm hoping.

NBA.com: What are you most looking forward to for your rookie season?

Greg Oden: Basically, being around my teammates. That's when I excel, when I'm really focused on my teammates ... and just having that family, that connection ... being able to play and feel good about it.

NBA.com: So, have you gotten to know Brandon [ Roy ] and LaMarcus [Aldridge] pretty well?

Greg Oden: I did. They're pretty cool dudes.

NBA.com: What kind of advice did they give you?

Greg Oden: Everybody gave me the same advice. You just gotta go through the first year. That's basically what they say. You say, "What can you tell me to help me get through my first year?". They say, "You gotta go through it. There's not a lot that you can tell anybody else about it. You can tell them what you want, but until they go through it, there's nothing they can do about it."

NBA.com: Do you feel like you have to make any changes to your lifestyle or diet?

Greg Oden: I gotta change my diet. Right now, I'm trying to get my weight back, so I'm eating anything and everything. So, definitely, when I get there - I'm going to Portland a month early for training camp - I'm gonna get a chef and start changing my diet.

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