Dwyane Wade Blames 2002 Surgery for Knee Injuries in the NBA

Dwyane Wade’s ongoing knee issues originate from a procedure that took place 11 years ago, according to the Miami Heat superstar guard. Wade says a knee operation he had while still at Marquette has likely led to the knee problems he’s faced throughout his NBA career. Per the Miami Herald: “In addition to gunning for his fourth title and third in a row, Wade also will be playing for leverage in any contract discussions planned for after the season. Like LeBron James and Chris Bosh, Wade can opt out of his contract after the playoffs and re-sign for more money. ‘We had to push my body to certain limits this summer,’ Wade said. Wade and (trainer Tim Grover) outlined an eight-week program designed to strengthen Wade’s body for contact while also reducing body weight to take pressure off of his knees. It all sounds a bit counterintuitive, but Wade said he feels better now than he has in several years. In effect, Wade wants to look and feel like he did in 2008-09, when he had career highs in regular-season games (79) and points per game (30.2). In addition to training camp, Wade said Wednesday that he would meet with Grover for 1 1/2 more weeks to complete his training. The work will take place at odd hours and will not interfere with camp. […] Wade rarely entertains discussions about his health, but Wednesday opened up about his ongoing knee problems. He said that many of the knee injuries throughout his career stem from his first procedure while at Marquette. According to Wade, he had the meniscus removed from his left knee. ‘It was 14 years ago, or whatever the case maybe, so it was totally different,’ Wade said. ‘And I don’t think anyone would project I would still be playing this long either. When [Russell] Westbrook had his injury, they kind of saved his meniscus. Mine was taken out when I was young.’ In March 2002, Marquette announced Wade had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to repair a small tear in his lateral meniscus. The partial removal of a damaged meniscus can cause arthritis later in life, but can also speed up initial recovery time for athletes. ‘At that time it was about just get me back on the basketball court … and for the long haul that kind of hurt me to the extent to where I would have certain knee problems,’ Wade said. ‘It’s something I’ve had to deal with, but everyone has their own journey in life. It’s a part of it.'”