Dwyane Wade talks about bringing home some gold

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BEIJING -- First, Heat fans have had to wonder about Dwyane Wade’s hometown Chicago Bulls luring him away in two years when his contract expires.

Now, Greece?

Here was the question from a Greek reporter: Would Wade think of playing in Greece if he received a deal like the rumored one revolving LeBron James for for $50 million a year?

“Oh, yeah,’’ he says.

Has anyone contacted him?

“No, no, no,’’ he says. “I’m happy with the Heat. But we’ve been joking with LeBron about that. The numbers talk, no question about it.”

It was eye-opening for Wade to see Atlanta Hawk Josh Childress sign recently with a Greek team for three years and $32.5 million. That suggested something in the game is tilting, some residue from the last couple of decades of building up the international game.

“Look, a lot of guys like me got the’ maximum contracts, Wade said. “But the way his deal is structured, Josh is making just about the same as I am after taxes. If LeBron can make what’s being thrown around, that’s crazy.

“We never thought we’d be in a position like this, but we’ll see what’s going to happen in the next several years.”

Wade, like James in Cleveland, is signed through the 2010 season. But his travels through China have showed him just how big basketball is becoming in the world.

The Greek Olympics, where the U.S. team took a bronze, were big. But he doesn’t think the have shown anything like the exhibitions in China before the Olympics. Part of that is the reception the U.S. team is receiving throughout China, compared to Greece.

“Greece was like being on the road,’’ he said. “ ‘Boooooo.’ Here, everywhere we go, we’re cheered. But it seems like the game is bigger in the United States.”

Bigger?

“Just by the number of people in the country, it’s bigger.”

-- David Hyde

Hyde is a columnist for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.