Dwyane Wade: “First of all, my decision was made after getting opinions from two great doctors, Dr. Selesnick and Dr. Andrews. My decision is to rehab my shoulder for the next two or three weeks with the possibility of coming back, but there is no guarantee. Both doctors felt this would be a great thing to do, considering my youth and my ability to come back from injuries in the past. So my decision is to rehab my shoulder for the next two or three weeks and see if I have the strength and the confidence in my shoulder to play at a high level going into the playoffs. If not, then I will consider the possibility of surgery.”

Q: How tough was your decision?

DW: “It was tough. Especially because it’s this time of the year, it could have been easy for me, playing all last year and this past summer, I could have just shut it down. It’s tough because I don’t know if I’ll be able to attack the same way, dive on the floor with a shoulder injury. I have talked to a lot of people who had the same injury and I have heard a lot of different things. But my body is my body and I guess I will find out how my body responds to rehab.”

Q: Is there any concern about doing further damage to your shoulder?

DW: “I won’t do any further damage by taking this route. The main concern is that I can feel that same pain again. That’s one thing that I don’t want to happen. Also, if my shoulder doesn’t respond the right way to rehab, I can still have surgery and it really doesn’t push anything back any further than it already would have.”

Q: So the rehab process is two to three weeks?

DW: “It should be. The doctor thinks that the rehab and the therapy, plus some time to get my confidence back on the court, it should take two to three weeks.”

Q: Will you be wearing something to support the shoulder during this time?

DW: “Talking to Dr. Selesnick, I think I could wear a harness, but it’s really not the best thing for this type of injury. So I probably won’t be wearing anything special for it.”

Q: Is there a possibility of you not coming back after the rehab?

DW: “There’s a possibility of the shoulder popping back out, a lot of different things could happen. That’s why I have to decide after the therapy if I feel confident enough to play.”

Q: Has it popped out at all?

DW: “No, it hasn’t popped out. It has actually been in a sling most of the time. It feels weird to sleep; the doctor wants me to wear my sling for two weeks to keep it stable. I don’t have it on right now. But I had it locked in this position for 10 days.”

Q: When will you come back?

DW: “I think it not only depends on how my body responds to the therapy, but also how I respond on the court. You have to get your rhythm back. It should be two or three weeks when I decide if I can come back and I have to keep a positive mind frame about it.”

Q: So does this mean you might come back for the regular season?

DW: “You would hope that you could play a couple of games before the playoffs. But I don’t know that. It all depends how my shoulder and my body responds. My mind and my spirits are high. I understand that things happen for a reason and I’m not down about it. I’m excited to get into therapy which will hopefully get me back to where I can join my teammates on the court.”

Q: Did Eddie talk to you about your injury?

DW: “Eddie shared his experience and I think his came out during his sleep, so he told me he was able to come back and play without problems through the playoffs. He is confident that I can do it. It’s good to hear my teammates say that. I was watching the Pistons game and they were saying that I shouldn’t (come back this season).”

Q: Why did you feel you needed a second opinion?

Q: “It’s what you do when you have an injury. Even though I have great trust in Dr. Selesnick, he suggested that I get a second opinion, just so that I can make the best decision for myself and my family and the Miami HEAT.”

Q: Are all the doctors on the same page?

DW: “We are all on the same page of going forward with at least two or three weeks of therapy. One thing that they wanted to be known is that there are no guarantees I will be on the court in two or three weeks.”

Q: Have you noticed any changes in the team’s play since you have been out?

DW: “I think this team has been playing the way we have been playing all season and we have some veteran guys who know how to win ball games, whether it’s high scoring or low scoring. If I come back then I will be able to play the way I normally play. That is one of the big decisions: whether or not I can come back and play the way I normally play. You don’t want to think about anything when you are playing basketball.”

Q: Has Shaq said anything?

DW: “Shaq has stepped back and told me to do the best thing for me and my family. He has always been a guy that thinks you should make your own decisions.”

Q: Would you have been able to come back if you had the surgery?

DW: “No. I would be out for four to six months.”

Q: Is there any way you won’t need surgery at all?

DW: “There is a chance. But we won’t know that for a while. As of right now, I will need it, but there is always a chance.”

March 5 -Dwyane Wade Injury Press Conference