Parkland goal: ‘Continue to bring attention to it’
MIAMI — “Parkland 17” is more than a number to Dwyane Wade. It is a movement.
That, the Miami Heat guard said Saturday, is why he decided to dedicate a weekend exhibit with that title at Wynwood’s Art Walk.
The gallery was scheduled to be open for 17 hours this weekend, Saturday from noon until midnight and then Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
The invitation Wade posted on his Twitter feed, reads, “Dwyane Wade invites you to honor the lives lost on February 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and make a Call to Action.”
Part of the event includes a “Call to Action Center,” with that element defined as, “As a tribute to the lives lost, we are encouraging people to stop by and take action by contacting their representatives to voice their position on Gun Control by using the Ring your Red Phone Booth.”
Wade further extended his support by pledging $200,000 Saturday to help underserved youth from his hometown Chicago be part of the March for Our Lives on March 24.
Wade said the activism is part of a personal commitment that included surprising students at the school when classes resumed Wednesday.
“More so than anything,” he said before Saturday’s game against the Washington Wizards at AmericanAirlines Arena, “what I think everyone is trying to do is trying to create a support for Parkland, a support in South Florida, support for the community, for the families. They lost loved ones. And everyone is trying to do it in different ways, in creative ways.
“And that’s one of the things, that we’re trying to go in multiple ways, is trying to be creative and be supportive, with everything that happened. But also, not letting it just go away: Continue to bring attention to it. Continue to make sure that that message, that the parents, that the students are saying, is being seen and being heard. So just making sure we continue to help with platforms to do that.”
Roof raised
Heat broadcast personality Jason Jackson had players reflecting back Saturday on Wade’s roof-raising dunk that punctuated Thursday’s victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
In retrospect, Wade, 36, acknowledged he may have “raised the roof ” a bit too much in his celebration.
“It was more so having fun with the young guys [then] anything,” Wade said. “It was cool, it was cool. I probably did the pop one too many times, I was that excited. I probably should have done two or three, but I did four.”
Guard Josh Richardson, who threw the alley-oop pass, said he did not notice.
“No, not really,” he said. “I was running down the side of the court, screaming at all the fans sitting courtside.”
Forward Justise Winslow, whose deflection triggered the play, said he raced toward Wade for more than support — well, actually just that.
“He’s still got a little bit left,” Winslow cracked. “I mean he got big hands, so it’s easy. He doesn’t have to jump that high.
“But I was there just in case, ‘cause his left hand fell off the rim. So just in case the old man was going to tumble — unfortunately Jaylen Brown had one of those — so you don’t ever want someone to do that, regardless if they’re on your team, the other. So I was there to catch the old fella, just in case he had a little slippage.”
Repetitive tasks
Saturday’s game marked the Heat’s second in five days against the Wizards. That was after playing all four games against the 76ers in a 35-day span ending Thursday, the shortest span in the Heat’s 30 seasons for any four-game series.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said the quick turnarounds against the same opponents is a way to steel a team for playoff series.
“For us,” he said, “what we’ve been saying is we’re in a playoff mode right now, so we might as well play these teams as close together as possible. It gets you kind of in that mode, anyway.”