Dwyane Wade predicted intense backlash if the Heat Big Three didn’t dominate right away: “It’s going to seem like the world is crashed down” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Invoking historic tragedies in any context demands extreme caution. This is especially true in sports talk, as Dwyane Wade found out the hard way in July 2010.
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At the time, the 6’4″ shooting guard faced swift backlash for discussing the overall reaction to his team, the Miami Heat, possibly facing a losing streak. “D-Wade” said the public would treat it as if the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers were happening again.
Fierce public pressure
During the 2010 NBA offseason, Wade spoke with reporters ahead of his annual charity game alongside Alonzo Mourning. Naturally, one topic was unavoidable: Miami’s new “Big Three.”
Just weeks earlier, LeBron James and Chris Bosh shocked the league by announcing their move to South Beach. They joined Wade to form a superstar trio instantly nicknamed the “Heatles.”
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D-Wade understood these blockbuster signings made Miami immediate championship favorites. But he also knew they’d face relentless scrutiny from day one, with even a short losing streak sparking intense backlash by fans and media.
“We’re going to be wearing a bullseye,” said the reigning All-Star, per ESPN. While undeniably true, his next words were certainly ill-advised.
“There’s going to be times when we might lose one, two games in a row, maybe two games, three games in a row, you never know,” explained Wade, describing the public’s reaction to it. “It’s going to seem like the world is crashed down. You all are going to make it seem like the World Trade (Center) has just went down again.”
Despite the media noise, Wade made it clear the team wouldn’t be shaken. A few losses were just that — losses. After the storm, he, LeBron, Chris, and the rest would simply get back on track.
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Wade’s controversial 9/11 reference
The legendary guard’s comparison to the World Trade Center referenced the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001, when nearly 3,000 people died after Al-Qaeda terrorists targeted the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and other U.S. sites.
It goes without saying — or at least it should — that such a tragedy, one of America’s darkest moments, can’t be compared to basketball or the media’s reaction to the sport. Many quickly pointed this out, prompting “The Flash” to respond through the Heat.
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The future 13-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion clarified that in his earlier interview, he was trying to explain how some fans and media might overreact if the new-look Heat stumbled in the early regular 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,” he said.
“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,” added the 2007 Finals MVP.
Ultimately, that wasn’t the only controversy Wade — inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023 — was dealing with at the time. Off the court, several stories were swirling about the Chicago native.
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And speaking of losing streaks, the “Heatles,” led by head coach Erik Spoelstra, endured two major ones in their first season together. They dropped four straight in January 2011, then lost five in a row from late February to early March. While the public scrutiny that followed was certainly intense, Wade’s comparison had still gone too far.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.