NBA Wire Notes | Oden joins Portland for practice

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Greg Oden practiced with the Portland Trail Blazers for the first time since right-knee surgery ended the No. 1 draft pick's debut season before it started six months ago.

Oden, the 7-foot center from Ohio State taken with the top selection in last year's draft, surprised his teammates Wednesday when he participated in offensive drills and even dunked during 45 minutes of half-speed work. The Blazers lost to the Kings 96-85 Thursday night.

"Yeah, it was nice," Oden said after lifting weights. "I learned some of the plays that I'm not going to use, but it was good to be out there with the guys and go through some of the stuff that they go through."

Only coach Nate McMillan and trainer Jay Jensen knew Oden would be in practice Wednesday for the first time since undergoing microfracture surgery in September.

"They made some comments about it," McMillan said of his players. "They laughed about it and said, 'Hey, finally you're here to work.' "

The Blazers have stayed in contention for a playoff berth without their future franchise center. Led by All-Star Brandon Roy, Portland is in 10th place in the Western Conference.

Oden said he felt no discomfort in his

knee after the workout. The Blazers, however, still have no intention of allowing him to play this season.

LeBron to appear on Vogue's cover

CLEVELAND — LeBron James is striking a pose.

The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar will appear on the April cover of Vogue, joining actors Richard Gere and George Clooney as the only men to do so in the influential fashion magazine's 116-year history.

Wearing a tank top, shorts and sneakers from his own Nike clothing line, James appears on the cover dribbling a basketball and screaming as if in game mode while throwing one arm around supermodel Gisele Bündchen with Tom Brady nowhere to be found.

The pairing of the All-Star forward and the runway icon was shot in January by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz in James' hometown of Akron, Ohio.

"It's pretty good," James said. "Me being a big guy and a big supporter of fashion, to be on the cover with Gisele, on the cover of the biggest fashion magazine ever — it's pretty good."

Vogue is featuring athletes and models in an annual issue devoted to size and shape. The 6-foot-9 James and 5-foot-11 Bundchen, who dates Patriots quarterback Brady, were a natural pairing.

"Nobody says more about fashion size and shape than Gisele and LeBron," Vogue spokesman Patrick O'Connell said. "LeBron is an amazing star and athlete that has crossed over into a cultural phenomena."

The James-Bundchen duo is one of several athlete-model pairings featured in the issue. Seattle speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno poses with Doutzen Kroes.