The NBA announced this afternoon that Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade has been named the NBA?s Eastern Conference Player of the Month. This marks the seventh time in franchise history a Heat player has earned Player of the Month honors and marks a franchise-record third time Wade has received the accolades. He previously captured the award for the month of December in 2004 and the month of February in 2006. Los Angeles Lakers' guard Kobe Bryant was named the NBA?s Western Conference Player of the Month.

Wade led the NBA in scoring for the second consecutive month and third time in his career, averaging a league-high 29.2 points. Additionally, the four-time NBA All-Star averaged 6.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 1.85 steals, 1.38 blocks, and 37.6 minutes while shooting 46.2 percent from the floor and 76.1 percent from the foul line en route to leading the Heat to a 9-4 record. The nine wins and .692 winning percentage are both tops in a month for the Heat since recording 11 wins and a .733 winning percentage in March of 2007. Among Miami?s nine wins in December were victories over the Lakers (89-87 on Dec. 19) and the Cavaliers (104-95 on Dec. 30) when each entered the game as division leaders and with the second-best record in the NBA at the time of the game. Miami finished December with a 3-2 road record, marking the first time since March of 2007 it compiled a winning road record in a month. Among the Heat?s road victories in December was a 93-89 triumph at Utah on Dec. 3.