In his final NBA season, Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade has been the subject of talk regarding the league’s annual All-Star game.
Tom Crean, Wade’s old head coach at Marquette University, has come out strongly in favor of Wade being chosen as a reserve to replace injured Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo.
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Oladipo, who was coached by Crean at Indiana Unversity, was lost for the season with a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee on Jan. 23. The injury is considered severe enough that he could miss a good portion of next season as well.
Wade has been selected to 12 previous All-Star teams and can make a credible case for being chosen this season. He’s averaging 13.8 points, 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 39 games after making the decision last September to close out his career.
During his legendary NBA career, he’s also stood out as a key member of three Heat championship teams as well as one of the league’s most popular and socially conscious players.
Crean was the Marquette Golden Eagles’ head coach for nine years before spending another nine seasons at Indiana. Currently in his first season at the University of Georgia, Crean coached Wade for two seasons from 2001 to 2003.
In Wade’s 65 games with the Golden Eagles, he averaged 19.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Those numbers helped Wade become the fifth overall pick in the 2003 draft, with the Heat and their fans the beneficiaries of that selection.
A more immediate concern for Wade is helping the Heat get back to the .500 mark. They presently have a 24-25 record and will host Oklahoma City on Friday night, the midpoint of a three-game homestand that will precede a six-game road trip.
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