On Thursday, Charles Barkley discussed the fact that he doesn’t believe Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade should make the All-Star Game this season, and it looks like Wade agrees with him.
Barkley mentioned that the honor of being voted to the All-Star Game means more to younger players who may never make another one than it does to Wade who is already a 12-time All-Star.
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“There’s guys who are only going to make the All-Star team one time in their life,” said Barkley. “This might be their only time, and Kenny [Smith] talks about it all the time. He says that he had one regret, he never made the All-Star team. Probably times he deserved it and they gave it to somebody who was more popular.”
Fellow NBA legend and former Heat big man Shaquille O’Neal offered additional insight that he has from being Wade’s former teammate.
“What I know about him, he don’t want sympathy votes,” O’Neal said of Wade.
Following Friday’s shootaround, Wade responded to Barkley’s words.
“If I’m choosing an All-Star, I’m not picking me,” he said. “It’s not an indictment on anything, but guys that deserve to be All-Stars will be All-Stars.
“For the first time, I actually agree with Charles Barkley and what he said. It’s a lot of guys that get their first chance to be All-Stars, and if they deserve it, then they deserve it and they should have those spots. I appreciate the love from my fans to even vote me, to have as many votes as they did. But from an All-Star standpoint, there’s multiple guys that deserve to be in there and I hope they get their opportunity.”
Wade clearly stands behind Barkley’s sentiment and believes that other guys deserve those coveted reserve spots.
His response wasn’t surprising. Part of what has made Wade so likable has been his class and the respect he has for fellow players, especially the younger guys.
Just this week, Wade spoke out in support of Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo after his season-ending knee injury, saying that he’d be there to help him get through the tough times ahead.
While Wade may not spend All-Star Weekend on the court, there’s no doubt players and coaches will continue to pay tribute to him and his storied career throughout the rest of the season.
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