All-Access Pass
Inside Coverage of Mavs-Heat
By David Lord - DB.com
We take you deep inside all the angles, all the stories, all the quotes, all the notes, all the quips, all the Dwyane Digs, as only DB.com can do, with our All-Access Pass to Thursday's Mavs 112-100 win over Miami:
DEFENDING DWYANE: Let me make something clear here: I'm not celebrating D-Wade's injury. (I'll leave that to Eagles fans watching a fallen Michael Irvin). Rather, I am allowing myself to be entertained by the drama of a shoulder injury that became a wheelchair-needing injury, all of which precluded D-Wade from participating in the blowout. At the same time, I'm going to reserve my deepest empathy for starving blind babies in burning orphanages, and such, and not for an athlete who, as soon as they release him from the hospital -- only after his gilded chariot awaits, of course -- the first thing he'll do is assemble his Marketing Staff to make all of this into a Converse commercial.
Let me also allow none other than Pat Riley to chime in. This week's Sports Illustrated has a featurette (pre-injury, of course) on what it feels like to fly through traffic in the lane. Wade was among the players questioned. But his coach also commented on Wade's, er, acrobatic style: "He gets in the habit of falling down when he doesn’t have to … He doesn’t get back on defense. That’s hurt us."
Geez, even Riles thinks he "gets in the habit of falling down when he doesn't have to?''
"WADE IS A CRYBABY'': Walton and Tirico did it on ESPN TV on Wednesday night. Mike & Mike did it on ESPN Radio on Thursday morning. "Wade,'' they all mouthed by rote, "is known as one of the toughest guys in the league...''
No, guys, he is not. And while national types and Miami homers don't get it, inside-basketball people all know it. Mavs people were VERY reluctant to go on-record with me with comments on Dwyane's Dramatics. But I did collect thoughts from three respected NBA voices:
From Greg Buckner: "No, I've never seen a guy taken out in a wheelchair before. But maybe Miami has a certain protocol. ...''
From ex-Cavs star Mark Price, in the stands as an observer: "Never seen it before. It was his shoulder, right?''
From a long-time NBA'er (not a Mavs player): "Wade is a crybaby, and it's sad that he gets away with it. He does get away with it because he's a great player and a great guy. Other players like him. But they shake their heads at that s---. Remember the Kleenex box at the press conference (during the Finals)? He had to advertise that he had the sniffles! And God, I thought his next 'serious illness' was going to be hypothermia. ...''
"What do you mean?'' I asked the source.
"Hypothermia. With the igloo they built on his shoulder, I thought he was going to die of hypothermia.''
WHERE'S JOSH'S WHEELCHAIR?: In the third quarter, Josh Howard was undercut by Jason Kapono and went down hard, having rolled his ankle. He climbed to his feet. He stayed in the game. He even came back in the game.
And somehow, he never requested a wheelchair.
D-WADE FOR MVP!: Obviously, Wade isn't going to be the MVP now. (Is he?) But that doesn't mean he won't still go down in history. ... Is the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame handicap-accessible?
... Not to rub it in on Wade and the refs, but on that injury play in Houston, when his reach in against Shane Battier hurt his shoulder: Why wasn't a foul called against Dwyane Drama? ... ... Wade is considering season-ending surgery. Wade surgery Which is actually good news. Hell, I figured he might need LIFE-ending surgery. ...
THE FINAL WORD: Former Celtics star Dennis Johnson died on Thursday. He was coaching the Austin team in the D-League. He apparently was at practice when it happened. Dennis Johnson, dead at 52. ... and even HE didn't need a wheelchair.