Dwyane Wade is retiring after the 2018-19 season, but there are some nights where it looks like he could play for a few more years.
On Wednesday, Wade’s team-high 22 points led the way to a crucial victory on the road. He looked like vintage Wade against the Dallas Mavericks and after the game, he spoke about how nights like Wednesday make him think he doesn’t need to retire.
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“With everything that’s going on, some days I don’t have it, obviously with the schedule and things I have away from it to kind of make this one last dance what it is,” Wade said. “A lot of tug and pull, sometimes I’m depleted. Coach is allowing me to stay in bed, rest, do everything I need to do. I just felt good. Talking to Dirk [Nowitzki] at the end, he was like, ‘Man, you look good.’ So you know you have those days, right? And those are the scary days. Those are the days where you mess around and you’re like, ‘Oh, I can keep playing.’ Then it could be a day where you’re like ‘Nah, there’s a reason why I’m retiring.“
Nowitzki’s compliment seemed to make Wade re-think his retirement for a second. But the 13-time All-Star understands that he’s going to have some good days and some bad days. Despite his age, Wade can still step in and provide solid production for Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.
“He is always able to rise to the occasion no matter how he’s feeling,” Spoelstra said. “His level of play was infectious to the team.”
This speaks to Wade’s competitive nature. Even when he’s not feeling his best, he brings energy off the bench. Of course, on days when he feels good, he can lead the Heat in scoring en route to a much-needed road victory.
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