<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Coping with fame was not something Dwyane Wade worried about during his years at Marquette. Sure, he became one of college basketball's leading stars and used his skill and will to help the Golden Eagles land a Final Four berth in 2003. But less than four years later, the 24-year-old Wade has reached heights he never expected. He was named most valuable player of the NBA Finals in June after leading the Miami Heat out of a 2-0 hole, orchestrating four consecutive victories against the Dallas Mavericks. He has graced the cover of GQ (Gentlemen's Quarterly) magazine and recently was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year for 2006. His mere presence in a National Basketball Association arena brings a buzz, and it could be felt Wednesday night at the Bradley Center when the Heat met the Milwaukee Bucks for the first time this season. Despite a 27-point, eight-assist effort from Wade, the Heat fell to the Bucks, 121-95. "When you come up, there's certain things you think of, being MVP, playing in the Finals," Wade said. "You don't think 'Sportsman of the Year,' you don't think the cover of GQ magazine. So when you get an award like that, you've got to step back and say, 'Wow, it's pretty amazing.'" Wade also finds himself coping with more mundane things, such as the daily grind of the NBA. It hasn't been an easy path for the defending champion Heat, which has played all but four games without injured all-star center Shaquille O'Neal. "The defenses have changed against me," Wade said. "It's been tougher for me to get the same penetration and the same looks I always get. I've had to work harder not only to get myself shots but to get my teammates shots. "They double me a lot more coming up the court, and they're packing the paint a lot more. On pick and rolls, they double me and get me off the ball, more than ever before. I'm having to work for all my points." Wade is still capable of getting those points, as attested by his 28.4 average, a figure that ranks fourth in the league. But he is more concerned with leading his team, now three games under .500 at 11-14, and keeping it in the Eastern Conference playoff race until O'Neal returns at some point next month. "Shaq has been out for a while now, and we know how to play without him," Wade said. "We're just looking for him to get back, but we're not thinking he's our savior. We just got beat tonight." Wade's role cannot be understated with a veteran team that has a few players nearing the end of their careers, including Alonzo Mourning and Gary Payton. "He (Wade) really is our confidence-builder," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "The great ones make everybody else better. He's got to carry the load, and also defensively he's got to do his job. From that standpoint, he's got a lot to carry."</div> Source
