Why is dwayne wade not playing in the olympics

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Olympic 3x3 Team Falls to Host Japan Dwyane Wade. Wade, who played banged up throughout the NBA postseason, has officially withdrawn from the U. According to Reynolds, Wade will require knee surgery this offseason due to damage sustained over the duration of the lockout-shortened NBA season and playoffs.

The loss of Wade, who won gold in Beijing in , is certainly a blow to the U. His career statistics and a pair of championship rings speak for themselves on a professional level, but it will be interesting to witness the fallout that will follow today's announcement. Wade has essentially been demoted - willingly or not - to the number two option on a Heat team he once willed to an NBA Finals victory in as a third-year player. Now he's forced to stand aside and watch players like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant capture the attention of billions of global viewers.

The extent of Wade's knee injury isn't clear at this point, although it's widely known that he was playing through pain during Miami's recent postseason run. However, most NBA athletes deal with soreness in some capacity after the arduous season and that's why NBA superstars who opt to suit up for the Olympics should be applauded. They truly sacrifice valuable rest time to take on the challenge of protecting America's supremacy in the sport. They'd have an opportunity to be there, to share in the experience.

Wade's decision means Miami will have no more than two players on the U. Finals MVP LeBron James is a lock for the team, and forward Chris Bosh said earlier this week that he's "all in -- for now" despite missing nine playoff games with a strained abdominal muscle. Bosh said he would confer with doctors before making a final commitment to the Olympic team.

USA Basketball won 26 of its last 27 games with Wade in the lineup and is overall with him on teams. Three of those five losses came at the Athens Olympics, when the Americans left with the bronze medal. Wade won his first NBA championship two years later and averaged 16 points while coming off the bench for the "Redeem Team" that won gold in Beijing in The gold-medal game four years ago was perhaps Wade's best in a red, white and blue uniform: He scored a game-high 27 points on only 12 shots, as the Americans topped Spain for the Olympic title.

Information from ESPN. Skip to main content Skip to navigation. Wade needs knee surgery, will miss Olympics. Miami Heat. Best moments of the NYC Marathon.