If there were any questions if Dwyane Wade is healthy, they were all erased in USA’s 120-65 exhibition win over Canada at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas last Friday.

With LeBron James sidelined with a mildly sprained ankle, Wade stepped into the starting lineup and gave HEAT fans even more optimism for the upcoming season.

He showed the variety of moves that earned the four-time All-Star NBA Finals MVP honors in 2006. He showed his range by knocking down a three-pointer early in the contest. He showed his efficiency by hitting his first five shots, finishing with 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting. He showed his quickness by blowing by defenders and finishing around the basket with ease. And if you want to know how his knee held up, he showed explosiveness when he went up for a dunk with 7:25 remaining in the game.

In his first game in nearly four months, it’s safe to say that Flash is back.

“He’s healthy,” said teammate Kobe Bryant, “That’s the most important thing for Dwyane is that he’s healthy.”

Everyone should have seen this coming. Two weeks ago during the annual Zo’s Summer Groove All-Star game, Wade displayed his trademarked super-human abilities – taking a pass off the backboard from Chris Paul and throwing it down with a two-handed thunderous dunk – effortlessly.

“I’m healthy,” Wade said. “I haven’t felt this good in two years. Those who (see me workout) everyday, they know that I’m 100 percent health-wise.”

Wade, who was the sixth man for Team USA’s bronze medal team in the 2006 World Championships, did not play with the team last season because he was recovering from knee and shoulder surgeries – injuries suffered during Miami’s title defense season. He bounced back from shoulder surgery last season, but his surgical left knee continued to bother him. And even though he averaged 24.6 points and at times dominated, Wade didn’t have the explosiveness that he is known for. On March 11, the HEAT decided to sit Wade down for the rest of season to undergo a shock-wave treatment in hopes that he’ll be ready for the upcoming season.

So far so good.

This summer, he went back to his hometown of Chicago to rehab his knee. Despite his rehab, Wade would not back down from his commitment to play in the summer Olympics. Wade says he wants to be a part of the once-in-a-lifetime experience of helping America capture gold, all while preparing for the upcoming NBA season.

“I’m playing against the best of the best internationally, and I’m playing with the best, practicing everyday with the Olympic team,” he said. “There’s only so much drill work I can do over the summer. Coming off the Olympics will only get me that much more prepared.”

USA vs. Turkey
Wade and the rest of Team USA return to action on Thursday, July 31 as they take on Hedo Turkoglu and Turkey. The game can be seen live at 8:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2.