MIAMI – Dwyane Wade's performance against the 76ers was clearly inspired, on Wednesday he helped explain that inspiration.
Wade played with the name of 17-year-old Joaquin Oliver written on his shoes as he hit the game-winning shot for Miami. Wade had previously said he was dedicating the rest of his season to the teenager who was buried wearing a Wade jersey.
The Heat star finished with 27 points, 15 in the fourth quarter.
Wade said, "it was like I was playing with angels in the outfield... even JJ Redick's shot missing, they moved it out of the way. That's overall. UM, Panthers, we all were playing with angels in the outfield. I definitely felt my shots are being guided."
Wade referenced the University of Miami's miraculous win at Chapel Hill with Ja'Quan Newton sinking a three pointer at the buzzer to give Miami a 91-88 win. Wade also mentioned the Panthers who beat Toronto in overtime 3-2. It was quite a trifecta for South Florida Sports fans.
Wade said he wasn't just inspired by the Parkland shooting but also, "I lost agent a month ago, was very tough on me and all the things that are going on in South Florida ... Last night was a special night for this city... Something to smile about, something to be relieved about in that moment, but it doesn't change what we're dealing with."
Wade said he will continue to use his voice and emphasized that he will not "shut up and dribble," as a cable news host suggested to Wade's former teammate LeBron James.
Wade didn't want to revel in his flashback performance. He said after the game, he watched HDTV and not SportsCenter.