Well, I think this officially makes Dwyane Wade the NBA’s darling.

All of the reporters who haven’t had much else to do since the Michael Jackson trial/media circus have been called up to follow Wade around to doctors and other doctors (for second opinions).

For some reason, we happen to know that it is taking a little longer for him to get a second opinion than Wade might have thought a few days ago.

Why do we know all this?

Beats me!

I don’t care.

I realize that Dwyane Wade has gone from a nobody to one of the top NBA stars faster than anybody I have ever seen. Everybody expected Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony to be good. Nobody expected Wade to be as good as he is, rocketing his team (alongside of Shaq) to an NBA championship and nabbing for himself the Finals MVP honors.

I realize that he is a really good player, very worth of playing in the All-Star Game.

I realize that he is a fairly good fantasy pick and will eventually be worth the first round pick he got this year in many leagues. It’s mainly his injuries that concern me. Until he stops falling down 6 times a game and getting up 7, he probably won’t be a first round fantasy pick. I didn’t pick him on my team this year for the aforementioned reason. Anybody who did was duped.

I don’t expect Miami to win an NBA Championship with him this year. I’m still a little stunned that they managed it last year since they shouldn’t have made it past the Chicago Bulls in the first round. The East is a little weaker this year, though the Pistons seem on a roll, but assuming that the Wizards are healthy, I don’t see the Heat getting past Washington or Detroit. (I don’t think they’d have a problem with Cleveland, currently the #2 record in the conference). I don’t see them beating Dallas again, assuming Dallas doesn’t fall to Phoenix, Utah, San Antonio, or Houston…and I don’t think they will.

My only guess for this interest in him is that there are a lot of people betting on NBA games and the NBA championship, and if Wade isn’t there, the picture is a lot less muddy. After all, who would bet against the previous NBA Champion and feel good about it.

Well, that’s not my only guess.

There is a second reason.

I have seen all of the commercials with Dwyane Wade in them. Wade is the current NBA Darling. He has not only rocketed to NBA success but he has also become a marketing machine. His smile is everywhere. All of the advertisers really don’t want to let him go for the year. They know he’ll be back next year, but they already have a lot of money invested in him this year. If he isn’t going to be in the playoffs at all this year…

Well, let’s just say they’re all eagerly awaiting this second opinion.