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Wade trying to 'reinvent' himself in new role with Cavs

Gregory Shamus / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Despite being considered a superstar for more than a decade, Dwyane Wade didn't allow his ego to get in the way of what's best for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Prior to this season, Wade started 904 of his 915 regular season games. This year, after a slow start for the Cavaliers, he has come off the bench the last 23 games, leading to an early season resurgence.

So when did Wade realize his move was the best thing for him and his team?

"I knew Game 1," Wade told Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports. "I knew for me to be successful and for me to come to this team and bring what I can to this team, the starting unit just wasn't a unit for me. So, I decided to go to the unit that was for me."

Wade, who turns 36 in January, has seen his minutes plummet from his career average. However, he has been valuable on both ends of the floor, becoming the unquestioned leader of the bench unit.

"Look in the mirror, man, and that's what I did," he said. "Even my ego saying, 'I've been a starter, and I've had this kind of career,' I still wasn't going to make the best of it just by being in the starting lineup because of my ego. So for me, I was, 'OK, where can you be your better self and how can you enjoy playing the game and be happy playing the game?' To me, it was just about making the best of my situation and understanding where I was going to be best at."

Wade won three championships with the Miami Heat - two of them under head coach Erik Spoelstra. Despite spending his second straight season away from South Beach, Spoelstra's words still influence his thinking.

"Coach Spo always said, 'Can you reinvent yourself? For me, I tried to reinvent myself. My game hasn't changed, but I've always tried to fit my game within the team and do whatever's necessary."

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