On Sunday, Dwyane Wade became aware that a victim of the shooting at Parkland High School in Florida was buried in his Miami Heat jersey. Upon hearing the news, Wade shared his thoughts on why that decision made such an impact on him. Then, on Monday evening, Wade took his reaction to another level, indicating that the memory of Joaquin Oliver provides motivation for he and others to “not just shut up and dribble.”
This is Joaquin Oliver. He was one of the 17 young lives that were lost tragically at Douglas HighSchool in Parkland. Joaquin was one of many that i heard was excited about my return to Miami and yesterday was buried in my jersey. This is why we will not just SHUT up and dribble! pic.twitter.com/X0tfTTao33
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) February 26, 2018
Wade makes reference to comments from his former teammate and close friend, LeBron James, who emphatically explained why he will not be following those misguided directions from FOX News host Laura Ingraham.
Beyond that, the future Hall of Fame shooting guard shared extensive thoughts at Monday’s practice with Jordan McPherson and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, saying “It’s emotional even thinking about that, that his parents felt that burying him in my jersey is something that he wanted. I take a lot of pride in what I’ve done in this state and what I’ve meant for the youth, so I appreciate that.”
It is easy to see why Wade would be influenced and inspired by this particular story, though it is impossible to fully understand the impact of the gesture of his jersey being worn in that fashion. At the very least, it is quite clear that Wade, James and figures around the NBA have no plans to “stick to sports” in the near future.
