MIAMI, July 20 – Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade apologized on Monday issued an apology Monday to anyone who was offended for his use of the phrase "World Trade" in talking about the upcoming NBA season.Wade’s remarks had come on Sunday prior to the annual charity basketball game he co-hosts with Alonzo Mourning.
Asked about the season ahead for a Heat team now packed with the star trio of Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, Wade said: "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. It’s going to seem like the world is crashed down.
"You all are going to make it seem like the World Trade has just went down again," he told the group of reporters. "But it’s not going to be nothing but a couple basketball games lost and we’ll have to get back on track."
On Monday Wade issued an apology through the team as he travelled to Los Angeles for some previously booked TV appearances.
"In an interview yesterday, I attempted to explain how some people may view the Miami Heat losing a few basketball games in a row during the upcoming season," he said. "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.
"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."
The September 11, 2001 attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York killed nearly 3,000 people.