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There was a feeling of betrayal on Friday when news broke of Dwyane Wade buying an ownership stake in the Utah Jazz. The Miami Heat legend should have purchased a piece of the franchise that made him a three-time world champion.
Why didn’t Wade pick up the phone and make it happen? It’s complicated. According to Heat owner Micky Arison, there was a conversation about Wade joining Miami’s ownership group in 2019 after he retired.
But the 13-time All-Star guard wasn’t ready to commit at that time, per Arison. Meanwhile, Wade became “fast friends” and golfing buddies with Jazz majority owner Ryan Smith, hence the decision to take what is believed to be at least a 1% stake in the team.
“The respect I that I have for that [Heat] organization will not go anywhere, the love that I have for the [Heat] fans — that goes nowhere,” Wade told ESPN. “But this is about the next phase of my life as an investor, a businessman, an entrepreneur. For me, this is an opportunity to grow.”
I want to congratulate Dwyane on his recent announcement. We had discussed having him join our ownership group after his retirement but he was not prepared to commmit at the time. Of course I am disappointed that he didn’t reconsider. 1/2
Wade has developed a strong bond with Jazz star Donovan Mitchell whom he calls “2.0” since his game mirrors the former Heat star in many ways. But how much Wade becomes involved with the basketball side of operations may come down to whether he gives up his TNT job. The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reported that he is not permitted to have input as long as he’s serving as an NBA analyst on TV.
“I want to congratulate Dwyane on his recent announcement,” Arison wrote on Twitter. “We had discussed having him join our ownership group after his retirement but he was not prepared to commmit at the time. Of course I am disappointed that he didn’t reconsider.Having said that I wish him good luck and much success with the Jazz. To me Dwyane will always be a HEAT lifer.”
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D-Wade Roasts Heckler on Twitter
Wade is one of the most entertaining athletes to follow on Twitter. He often interacts with fans and throws his unadulterated opinion out there on important issues of the day.
He recently threw some classic shade at a Miami Heat fan who called him out for missing free throws back in the hey day of the Big Three. The heckler was commenting on a video showing Jimmy Butler chastise Bam Adebayo for missing at the charity stripe.
The retired superstar also revealed the reason why Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra pulled him from a 2009 game where he scored 55 points through three quarters. He was one point shy of matching Glen Rice’s franchise high.
Heat Finish Long Road Trip Tonight
Miami (28-27) looks to close out their grueling four-game road trip with a win tonight in Minnesota. The team has dropped two in a row as they get set to play in their fourth game in six days. They are 1-2 on the trip, with recent losses to the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.
“You ultimately are who your record says you are,” Spoelstra said after losing to Denver. “We think we’re better than this and we think we’ve been making some progress but ultimately we are that.”
Friday Night HEAT Hoops.
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Miami Heat Owner Wished Dwyane Wade ‘Reconsidered’ Offer