Posted on Fri, Feb. 20, 2004

 

 

 

AP PHOTO

SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS: Heat guard Dwayne Wade has had an amazing ride thus far in his rookie season in the NBA.

 

 

 

 

Rookie couldn't dream of this paycheck

 

Twenty questions with the Heat's Dwyane Wade

 

DAN LE BATARD

 

dlebatard@herald.com

 

 

1. Life's three most underrated pleasures?

 

``Sleep. Very underrated. I can say sleep all three times. Children, too. Young children. People look at them as a responsibility when it is actually a pleasure. And can I say rest again? I really love my rest.''

 

2. Which of the following would you most like to have -- Yao Ming's size, Kevin Garnett's game, Allen Iverson's quickness, Kobe Bryant's confidence, Pat Riley's wisdom, Tim Duncan's ability, Mark Cuban's money or Chris Webber's girlfriend [supermodel Tyra Banks]?

 

``[Laughter] Give me Garnett's game. I could use some more height, too, but Yao's too big for me.''

 

3. How long did you stare at your first NBA check?

 

``Oh, man. I stared at it all day, the whole day. I was driving home, and I kept looking down at it. I was feeling good, very blessed, but a little sad, too, because my parents never made that much money for entire years of their life. It was an overwhelming experience. This is all under my name? I can do what I want with it? And we get another in two weeks? Overwhelming.''

 

4. Boston Celtic Ricky Davis has 10 cars. Any chance you can get a little crazy with your spending?

 

'I went to a big-and-tall store with Lamar Odom, and we spent $1,000 in five minutes. I said to myself, `I can't get used to this.' I'm still very careful with my money. I tell people I'm not selfish, but I am cheap.''

 

5. Why?

 

``I know how it feels not to have it. I've never had any money. Right before I came to the NBA, I've got a wife and son and I'm taking out loans in college with no job just so I can have $220 every two weeks for things like diapers. I've suffered through tough times. I'm not going to do anything stupid.''

 

6. What one player do you look at and say, ``That's what my game is going to resemble in three years.''

 

``Kobe. He came in, wasn't a great shooter or attacker and didn't win right away. Now he's a great shooter, attacker and winner. I see myself there. I want to be careful because I don't want to compare myself to Michael Jordan -- nobody deserves that comparison -- but I think I can have Jordan-like symptoms if I keep working hard.''

 

7. Elton Brand tells this story about the Heat recruiting him: He was eating at the five-star Mandarin hotel with Heat officials and was feeling self-conscious about not having a belt. Within 20 minutes, Riley arranged for a Gucci representative to be at their table with an assortment of belts to choose from. What one example for you best illustrates Heat class?

 

``[Laughter] I didn't have anything like Elton at all, but being in that hotel makes you feel special, important. They put us up there for two weeks just because my wife wanted to be there. We had one of those suites, view of the ocean, and we'd go on the balcony and feel like, man, we've made it.''

 

8. Philosophy to live by?

 

``Anything you can do, you can do better.''

 

9. Your greatest strength and weakness as a parent?

 

``My greatest strength is being able to have fun with my son and enjoy everything about him at all times. My weakness is that I'm not so good at discipline. Because I'm away so much, I don't want him to associate me coming home with whoopings and hollering, so I let him get away with some stuff my wife wouldn't.''

 

10. Most annoying thing in the world?

 

``I hate traffic. And it's terrible down here. I haven't gotten used to these South Florida drivers. I tell you what I have gotten used to, though: Using my horn. I've never used it before, but now I've got road rage at times. And I'm pretty calm, too.''

 

11. What one example best shows the ridiculous shape you guys are in?

 

'After you work out real hard and you have no energy left, you have to do a conditioning drill we call `fours.' You have to keep running the length of the court four times within 20 seconds. And you have to beat your time from before every time. So you have to keep getting faster even though you are dead tired, or you have to do it all over. . . . If you can walk away from fours without needing to lay down somewhere, you are in shape.''

 

12. Most underrated player in the NBA?

 

``This year it would be my teammate Lamar Odom, but the one who has been underrated for many years is Sam Cassell.''

 

13. Best thing about being an NBA player?

 

'The smiles you put on faces. You can make a day just by saying, `Hi.' ''

 

14. What one snapshot from this year's All-Star experience do you think will stay with you the most?

 

``Me and my wife meeting Denzel Washington, taking pictures with him. He knew who I was. We think he's the best actor ever, and that'll stand out forever in my mind.''

 

15. Had any memorable conversations on the court during play?

 

``Yeah. Stephon [Marbury] told me that he respected my game, and that I was going to be a great player. He's one of the best and that meant a lot to me. It made me play better, with more confidence.''

 

16. Greatest compliment you've ever received?

 

``That I'm a great husband and father.''

 

17. What is your greatest fear?

 

``Dying too early, before I get to live fully.''

 

18. What one thing would you change about yourself?

 

``I'd make myself taller.''

 

19. Three guys you don't want to see on the other side of the ball when you are defending them?

 

``Marbury. Speedy Claxton. I hate quick guards, and he's too quick. And a great player like Baron Davis, who can hurt you so many ways.''

 

20. If you were creating a reality TV show, which three people in sports are strange enough that you would throw them together and want to watch?

 

``Dennis Rodman for strange. Ron Artest is on my show, too. Charles Barkley, he's very creative with his words, so put him in there. I want Bill Walton, too, because he's funny. Four people on my show.''

 

I agree on the sleep part with him. I love getting some good hours of sleep in and I think most people who live in South Florida agree on the traffic part. lol

 

 

Article

I barely sleep i wake up early and i just have fun,on weekday's go to school(i actually like school,it's straight,friends and all) and when i'm done in school go play sports especially baseball or sometimes for the heck of it basketball(and i run alot),on weekends i wake up early and just have fun and play sports also especially baseball.