Dwyane Wade gets ‘emotional even thinking about’ a Parkland shooting victim being buried in his jersey
Joaquin Oliver was a big Miami Heat fan who was thrilled about the return of Dwyane Wade to the team the NBA superstar led to three championships. That’s what the officiant who led Oliver’s Feb. 17 memorial service said.
Wade was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Heat on Feb. 8, six days before Oliver and 16 others were killed during a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
On Sunday, Oliver’s parents revealed on the Univision talk show “Al Punto†that their son was buried in his No. 3 Heat jersey.
That, of course, is Wade’s jersey.
Wade responded to that news later in the day on Twitter.
Wade also spoke with reporters about the report after practice Monday.
“You really can’t put that in words,†he said. “You hurt for the family and if you’re able to get an opportunity to speak to them, you just try to hope that the time where he was alive, that you was able to bring some form of joy to his life and something memorable. ...
“Like I retweeted on Twitter, I said, ‘You’re going to make me cry.’ It’s emotional even thinking about that, that his parents felt that burying him in my jersey is something that he wanted. I take a lot of pride in what I’ve done in this state and what I’ve meant for the youth, so I appreciate that.â€
On Saturday night, Wade spoke to open a tribute to the victims from Stoneman Douglas before the Heat’s first home game since the shooting.
“Tonight we honor the 17 lives that were tragically lost in Parkland,†Wade said in the video. “We applaud the fearless students that are fighting for their lives. We also make sure that their voices are heard around gun safety. You are our nation’s inspiration. We salute you and we support you.â€
Twitter: @chewkiii
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
