THURSDAY, OCT. 1 - Dwyane Wade set the record straight. He won't be leaving basketball anytime soon for a career in movies or music. Especially music.
By now, you've probably seen the YouTube clip of Wade murdering the Boyz II Men hit, End of the Road, during his Wade's World Foundation celebrity weekend bowling event last month in Chicago. Even worse, you may have actually turned up the volume and heard his karaoke version of the song.
In short, Wade probably owes Boyz II Men an apology. Wade improved his defense to an All-World level last season. But he may have been at his defensive best after Thursday's practice, when he tried to explain his performance on the mic.
His publicist and friend, Lisa Joseph, re-posted the less-than-grammy-worthy performance on the Internet earlier this week to give Wade's friends another round of laughs after the initial wave wore off. Wade took it all in stride and said the video probably got 20,000 more hits in one night.
"Everybody was scared to get up there, and I decided to get up there and be a leader," Wade said of his decision to take the stage and flex his vocals. "Unfortunately, it was a camera around. It (sounded) a lot different in my head. When they put the music on and the words, it turned out a little differently."
It wasn't Wade's first venture into the entertainment industry. He has a cameo role in a soon-to-be-released movie starring rapper Common and Queen Latifah. Wade said during the Heat's media day earlier this week that he didn't have the patience to be in the movie business. He's cool with commercials.
But ...
"I'm glad I make my money over here (in the NBA)," said Wade, who recently joined Nike's Jordan Brand team. "I'd love to do Space Jam II, but I just couldn't do it."
THURSDAY'S NEWS: The league office is prohibiting coaches from commenting on the issue of using replacement referees in games. The league and veteran officials continue to be far apart in negotiations on a new deal that would end the lockout. Preseason games start this weekend, with the Heat set to open its seven-game exhibition slate on Monday at Detroit.
"Not even going to go there," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Thursday's practice.
In other camp-related developments Thursday, Spoelstra said a team of "young" players beat the "veterans" in the final scrimmage of the day's workout session. That young team consisted of Mario Chalmers, Daequan Cook, Dorell Wright, Michael Beasley and Joel Anthony.
"They actually won the last game and they did it quietly, which is what I like," Spoelstra said of the yong group winning without much taunting or celebrating. "It wasn't a lot of talk. There was a better focus today."
INJURY UPDATE: Jermaine O'Neal became the first injury casualty of camp, missing Thursday's workout with a sprained left ankle he sustained late in Wednesday's practice. O'Neal said he expects to return to practice on Friday and will play in Monday's preseason opener at Detroit.
THURSDAY'S SPOTLIGHT: James Jones, 6-8, 220. 7th season. Jones has a lot to juggle in training camp. Not only is the Broward County resident dealing with the rigors of twice-daily practices this week, he's doing so while also balancing enough time in his day - and night - to spend with his newborn baby girl.
Jones and his wife welcomed their third child on Aug. 11, a bouncing baby girl named Jodie Marissa Jones. Just before camp started, Jones said the baby was on a sleeping pattern that had her waking up at midnight, 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. With two other kids ages 4 and 2, there's no doubt that Jones' most valuable teammate is his wife Destiny.
"For me, it's easy, because I know I put a lot of time in with my family," Jones said. "I spend as much time as I can with my kids before I come to work in the morning and before they go to bed at night. That's one of the joys about playing in your hometown. Right now, I look at it as sort of being on a West Coast road trip, where I've got to devote a lot of time to work right now. But my family is always with me."
(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)
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