Dwyane Wade heats up NBA Live

Can things get any better for NBA star Dwyane Wade? Not only is the NBA sophomore playing with one of the sport's most dominant players, Shaquille O'Neal, leading the Miami Heat to a title run, and capping an All-Star season with all-around impressive numbers, but he's spilling over into other media as well.

Last month, Wade was named as one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People, though he didn't get the cover (that honor went to Erin Brokovich star Julia Roberts). Wade has shown that he does have enough game to land on the cover of something else though.

Publisher Electronic Arts today announced that Wade was selected as the cover athlete for NBA Live 06, the next edition of the company's popular basketball sim. The game is being developed by EA Canada, which develops EA's other hoops franchises, NCAA March Madness and NBA Street. NBA Live 06 will be released later this year on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PC, and PSP.

After leading Marquette to the NCAA Final Four in 2003, Wade left college early and entered the NBA draft. He was selected fifth overall and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting behind the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James and NBA Live 2005 cover boy Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets. Wade has proved that defending him can be as confusing as spelling his first name--his 24.1 points per game is a Heat single-season record. With Wade and center O'Neal, the Heat has one of the most potent one-two punches in the league and makes it the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

GameSpot will have more on NBA Live 06 soon.

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