The Miami Heat guard who wore jersey No. 3, after all, just won his third NBA title.
“This is the sweetest one by far because of everything we’ve been through,” said Wade.
“Because of everything I’ve been through, individually.”
He went through a roller coaster ride, suffering through some of the worst stretches of his playoff career while visibly hobbled by injuries to both knees.
After winning finals Most Valuable Player honors in 2006 and playing a co-starring role during the Heat’s finals run last year, Wade struggled in the first three games of this year’s title round against the Spurs. He averaged just 14.3 points over that stretch, showing little of the explosiveness that made him a killer threat over most of his career.
That led to plenty of doubt from observers about whether he still had anything left in the tank.
“Without doubt, maybe I’m not here today. My belief is stronger than any doubt,” said Wade.
That all changed in Game Four, when he scored 32 points in a breakthrough performance that saw him regain his lethal form for six steals. And despite aching knees, he managed to give LeBron James valuable support in the series clincher with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
“I’m about gutting it out. I talked to my knees today, we had a conversation. I said listen, both of you guys, give me a great game, then we could have a great summer,” said Wade.
Miami forward Shane Battier, who stepped up with 18 points in the clincher, wasn’t suprised by Wade’s heroic performance.
“He’s Dwyane Wade, you can’t define him by stats,” said Battier.
San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich credited the dynamic duo for the Heat victory.
“They played Hall of Fame basketball tonight,” said Popovich. “That’s tough to match. If you’re gonna match that, you’ve got to play pretty perfect.”
Wade said his priority for the summer is to get his knees healthy, hoping that they wouldn’t need to undergo surgery.
“We are excited about the future of the organization,” said Wade. “We’ll be back next year again, looking to do it again.”
source: interaksyon.com
