Welcome to the biggest media spotlight you’ve ever been in, Dwyane Wade.
Wade’s comments comparing a Heat losing streak to the World Trade Center disaster were not nearly as offensive as had first been reported. And if this had been another player on another team, they may have slid under the radar.
But as our own Ira Winderman reports, the comments still made people cringe and just felt inappropriate. The World Trade Center tragedy is still to fresh and painful a wound for this country to be used in any comparison, particularly in sports.
So today Wade issued a formal apology.
“In an interview yesterday, I attempted to explain how some people may view the Miami Heat losing a few basketball games in a row during the upcoming season. It appears that my reference to the World Trade Center has been either inaccurately reported or taken completely out of context. I was simply trying to say that losing a few basketball games should not be compared to a real catastrophe. While it was certainly not my intention, I sincerely apologize to anyone who found my reference to the World Trade Center to be insensitive or offensive.”