Dwyane Wade has boundless energy. Good thing, too, because the NBA final MVP hasn't had much time to rest over the last few months.
Unlike many of his Miami Heat teammates, who've spent most of the last 3{ months relaxing and getting ready to defend their NBA championship, Wade has been in near-constant motion. Yet when the Heat open training camp Tuesday, the 24-year-old superstar guard says he'll be ready to go.
``By this time, I'm in great shape normally, ready for training camp to start,'' Wade said. ``But you know what? Everything happens for a reason, right? So you take a different path. My main thing is to come in, get in shape and not overdo it ... try to work my way back in and be there when my team needs me.''
He spent only about a week of the entire off-season home in Miami. And how many days was he truly off, with no basketball or business responsibilities to tend to?
``One,'' Wade said. ``But I'll be ready. I mean, it's been crazy, but I'll be ready.''
The whirlwind started instantly, from the moment he rebounded Jason Terry's errant three-pointer and hoisted the ball skyward to end Miami's 95-92 victory over Dallas in Game 6 of the NBA final.
He flew home to South Florida the next morning, then immediately hit New York for television appearances. From there, he was back in Miami for the victory parade, off next to Las Vegas for training with the men's national team, then out to China and Japan to compete with LeBron James and others in the world championships.
Since helping Team USA win bronze there, he's been crisscrossing the country tending to business matters, namely filming commercials for endorsers Converse, Gatorade, T-Mobile and Lincoln, plus making other appearances. Even last week, as some Heat players were scrimmaging one another to shake the off-season rust away, Wade needed to spend three full days taping spots before the cameras.
And along the way, he and agent Henry Thomas found time to seal a three-year extension with the Heat, one that kicks in for the 2007-08 campaign and could be worth in the range of US$63 million if he takes the fourth-year player option at the end of the deal.
``This opportunity doesn't come too often,'' Wade said. ``How long will I be on the tip of someone's tongue? There's always the next person that comes in and you fall to the background. When you've got opportunity, you try to be as good as you can and do as much as you can. I haven't burnt myself out. I'm still young.''
Heat coach Pat Riley isn't worried about Wade's durability, and doesn't expect him to be drained after his busy off-season, either.
``People like him ... if they have the right representation and they have the right people helping him, and cultivating these things, and helping him manage his time, they can deal with it,'' Riley said. ``They can deal with the calendar and I think he knows this. I don't have any concerns about that.''
Wade averaged 27.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds last season, then averaged 34.7 points in the final against Dallas. And he has plenty of time to regain that sort of form.
The Heat will practise in Miami from Tuesday through Sunday, then travel to San Juan early next week to open the pre-season against Detroit on Oct. 10 _ but the regular season doesn't open until Oct. 31, when Wade and his teammates will get their championship rings and see their title banner sway from the rafters.
``I'm back home now,'' Wade said. ``I'm back _ until we go to Puerto Rico.''
