Greg Oden has been praised by his Miami Heat teammates as he closes in on a return to the court.

The 25-year-old joined the Heat in the summer despite not appearing in an NBA game since December 2009, and his commitment has been praised by some of Miami's key players.

"So I got a good experience," Dwyane Wade told reporters. "It was good. For a guy who hasn't played for a while, he still understands what made him great, in a sense of just being big, being aggressive. So it was good to see him out there, exploding at different times. We enjoyed it."

LeBron James was also eager to applaud his new teammate for the effort he has put in during his recovery.

"It's a testament to him just keeping his composure, his believing in himself, his family believing in him," last season's MVP claimed. "He's back where he belongs, and that's in the NBA."

Oden was the number one pick in the 2007 draft for the Portland Trail Blazers.