Throughout his Hall of Fame career, Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade has dealt with chronic pain in his knee and has often had to miss time because of it. He's now opening up about the problems, and blaming them on a surgery he underwent back in 2002 while he was still in college.
As a player for the Marquette Golden Eagles, Wade had surgery to remove the meniscus in his left knee. Wade is saying these days he wishes a less invasive, longer-term approach was used.
My knee problems and the things I've dealt with started from that," Wade said. "That was [11] years ago and technology was different and the way you approach things was different. At that moment, if everyone looked ahead and said, 'Dwyane's going to have a 20-year career, maybe we should do something different,' maybe I wouldn't have [knee issues]. At that time it was to get me back on the basketball court and do what is best."
Wade pointed to a current counterpart, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, as an example of the newer, more forward-thinking approaches that can be taken to injuries now.
"When Westbrook had his injury, they kind of saved his meniscus," Wade said. "Mine was taken out, and that opens you up to having certain knee injuries and problems, so that's what I've had to deal with. We have a great training staff and we have great doctors. Whatever way you look at it, I'm going into my 11th season, there's lots of guys who haven't made it this far."
While Wade is being candid about the issues he's faced his entire career-issues that are likely to worsen with age, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra made clear that his comments are no admission of an impending decline in play or effort.
"He's extremely fit, he's had a great camp so far," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He's trying to win every drill."
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