Getty Dwyane Wade, formerly of the of the Miami Heat, attends the game between the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears at Hard Rock Stadium on October 14, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
The mood of the nation is tense right now after Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building in an organized coup. One woman was shot as gunshots rang out in the chamber of the House of Representatives.
Obviously, social media was quick to react to the chaos unfolding in Washington, D.C. Former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade was a strong voice on Twitter in condemning the insurrection while asking people to “imagine” what would happen if the protesters were black. The future Hall of Famer has long been an advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement and usually provides open and honest dialogue about sensitive subjects. Wade expressed genuine shock and sadness over the incident at the U.S. Capitol.
Now imagine if they were black
Wade retired after the 2018-19 season and remains the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 21,556 points. He also helped the Heat win three NBA championships (2006, 2012, 2013) while serving as a role model and voice for change in the Miami community. People often look up to the 38-year-old for guidance in turbulent times. He provided a running commentary on the tragic events happening on Wednesday.
“It comes with age, comes with maturity, comes with understanding your position,” Wade told The Undefeated in 2019. “I’m very aware of life, of all the people around. I’m very aware of myself, so I’m going to speak on what I believe on. It’s my belief, and I’ve been gifted this platform to be able to do that. And I know a lot of people who haven’t been given, who probably never will be, so I think I just take advantage of that.”
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Kelly Olynyk Grabs Starting Role in Miami
The Heat have rolled through six different starting lineups in six games to start the year. Not ideal. However, it looks like head coach Erik Spoelstra has finally captured lightning in a bottle after swapping Kelly Olynyk for Andre Iguodala at forward.
He scored 19 points and grabbed eight boards in 28 minutes in Monday night’s 118-90 win. More importantly, he formed a formidable one-two punch with Bam Adebayo.
“It’s a different flow when you start,” Olynyk said after the game. “You kind of let the game come to you. Nonetheless, you’ve got to play your role.”
Olynyk’s presence seemed to elevate everyone else’s game, too. All-Star Jimmy Butler thinks too many people “sleep” on the 6-foot-11 Canadian.
“Obviously, he’s a great catch-and-shoot guy, but what people lack is the decision-making, people sleep on that,” Butler said. “He can put the ball on the floor, finish at the cup, throw a lob, dribble handoff, he’s very intelligent and smart and we trust him with the ball in his hand as well.”
Heat Favored Over Celtics Tonight
The Heat (3-3) are favored over the Boston Celtics (5-3) tonight by 2.5 points in their second straight home game. The last time these two teams was back in September during the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Heat beating the Celtics in six games. But Miami has struggled to regain the magic from the “bubble” and haven’t been able to fill the void left by Jae Crowder who left for Phoenix.
“I think you’re seeing throughout the league, even with teams that brought back the majority of their players … the first month of the season, you’re trying to figure it out,” Iguodala said, via ESPN. “I think we’re just working through it, trying to be smart about it. We’ve got a lot of depth, so a lot of moving parts, depending on the game.”
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