Dwyane Wade to Miss Olympic Games Following Knee Surgery

There were fears immediately following the NBA season that Dwyane Wade might have to miss the Olympics due to left knee surgery. Today, those fears were realized. Reports the AP: “The Miami Heat guard called USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo and Olympic coach Mike Krzyzewski on Thursday to break the news, which was not totally unexpected after Wade played through pain in the postseason. He appeared in all 23 Heat playoff games despite the knee problems, averaging 22.6 points during Miami’s five-game win over Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals. ‘I’ve decided to listen to my doctors and get the procedure I need on my knee,’ Wade said. ‘USA Basketball said I had to do what was best for me. They want me to be obviously as healthy as possible so I can continue to play this game at a high level. They were very supportive and told me if I ever want to come around the team, I’m welcome and that I’m part of the family.’ Wade and his doctors are in the process of scheduling the surgery. Wade has been told it will be basically a ‘cleanup’ procedure and should have him on crutches for only about a day afterward. If all goes according to plan, Wade will be ready for the start of training camp with the Heat this fall. […] Wade’s departure leaves 17 players in the mix for 12 spots on the U.S. Olympic team. That group convenes in Las Vegas next week to start training camp, then has five exhibitions with international teams before opening Olympic play against France on July 29. Wade was the leading scorer for the U.S. team on its way to gold at the Beijing Games four years ago, and he hoped to be part of defending that title in London. But after meeting with doctors, Wade realized surgery was inevitable and delaying it until after the Olympics would seriously jeopardize his chance of being ready for the start of Miami’s championship defense.”