4-5. Dwyane Wade, 2008
The Game: 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Opening match against China. Team USA wins 101-70
The Player & The Line: Dwyane Wade, 19 points (7-7 FG 5-5 FT), 2 assists, 2 steals
The Context: Though USA was heavily favored against China to open the tournament, no one was quite certain what to expect from Dwyane Wade who was coming off of offseason surgery following a miserable 2007-2008 season. But USA got neither an injured Wade, nor the inexperienced rookie of ’04. Instead, they got arguably Wade at his apex. The opener was a signal to the basketball world that the 2006 Finals MVP had returned to the height of his powers.
The Game: 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Gold Medal game vs Spain. Team USA wins 118-107
The Player & The Line: Dwyane Wade, 27 points (9-12 FG, 4-7 3FG, 5-7 FT), 2 assists, 4 steals
The Context: The undisputed best game a Miami Heat player has ever had on an international stage. Though the final score would indicate a fairly stress-free affair, this battle against a legendary Spain club featuring the Gasol Brothers, Rudy Fernandez, and a fresh-faced Ricky Rubio was a 4-point contest with 2:21 left in play.
D-Wade, however, would hit a massive 3-pointer in the left corner (with a scowl for good measure) to give the Americans enough cushion to keep the Spaniards at bay. With this performance, Wade went down as the leading scorer of the 2008 “Redeem Team” (16.0 PPG) despite coming off of the bench for the Americans in deference to Kobe Bryant. Wade also shot a stunning 67% from the field and 47% from 3 through the Olympics.