Dwyane Wade caused an international incident by continuing his pregame shooting routine during the Canadian national anthem.
Canadians didn’t take kindly to that, so the Heat star responded.
Wade, via SportsNet.ca:
You’re always sensitive to anything goes around the world. I’m not thinking about nothing like that. I’m thinking about what I need to do before every game that I prepare for, that I’ve been doing my whole career. So, I understand whatever’s said from that standpoint, but I’m not a disrespectful person. So, if anybody thinks I’m being disrespectful to a country, then they have no idea who Dwyane Wade is. But you have to make an adjustment with our pregame ritual, with everything starting a little earlier then we used to.
I believe Wade didn’t mean to disrespect Canada. But he did disrespect Canada. He must own that to fully get past this controversy. Otherwise, don’t be surprised if Raptors fans respond in kind for the Star Spangled Banner prior to Game 5 in Toronto Wednesday.
That said, Wade shooting during O Canada reflects on him. If you boo the American national anthem, that doesn’t rebuke Wade. It reflects on you.