Sports

Wade Elects to Become Free Agent, May Leave Heat

Published

9 years ago

June 30, 2015

In this Jan. 4, 2015, file photo, Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) shoots in front of Brooklyn Nets center Mason Plumlee (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Miami. Wade announced Monday, June 29, 2015, that he will elect to become a free agent. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

TIM REYNOLDS, AP Basketball Writer

MIAMI (AP) — The relationship between Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat is about to be tested like never before, and the most accomplished player in franchise history may soon have a new home.

Wade will become a free agent Wednesday, electing to pass on a $16.1 million option for next season and see what he’s worth on the open market. His decision was announced Monday afternoon by a spokesperson in a 61-word press release, after both Wade and his agent Henry Thomas did not respond to requests for comment.

Wade played for all three of Miami’s NBA championship teams. He’s been an All-Star in 11 of his 12 seasons, and is Miami’s all-time leader in plenty of categories including games, points, assists and steals.

“We want Dwyane back,” Heat President Pat Riley said last week. “There’s no doubt about that.”

There’s doubt it will happen.

As is usually the case, it will come down to money. Wade has left about $27 million on the table during his career and wants those sacrifices rewarded in his next contract. But he’s missed 25 percent of Miami’s regular-season games over the last four seasons and that, combined with him turning 34 next season, likely is weighing heavily on how much the Heat want to offer.

He averaged 21.5 points this past season, 11th-best in the NBA and third-best in the Eastern Conference. His points-per-48-minutes of 32.4 ranked relatively close to elite scorers like Stephen Curry (34.9), LeBron James (33.6) and Carmelo Anthony (32.5). The Heat wound up missing the playoffs at 37-45, in large part because Chris Bosh missed half the season after a blood clot was found in one of his lungs.

“Obviously, our team went through a lot of bizarre stuff throughout this year but I thought individually, what I was able to do in 30, 31 minutes, I thought I was as efficient as I could be,” Wade said in an interview with The Associated Press when the season ended. “I always think I can do better, but what I was able to accomplish … I thought was pretty good individually.”

Monday was a hectic day for the Heat.

The morning had Justise Winslow, the No. 10 overall draft pick out of Duke, arrive for his introductory news conference where he was flanked by Riley and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who both raved about Winslow’s maturity. Hours later, small forward Luol Deng announced through agent Herb Rudoy that he will exercise his option to play for Miami next season in a $10.1 million deal.

“Good things happen for a reason,” Riley said.

The next move belonged to Wade, who is headed to free agency again. ESPN was first informed of his decision.

Wade strongly considered an offer from Chicago in 2010 and is likely to get interest this time from the Los Angeles Lakers (he and his wife Gabrielle Union have a home there), the New York Knicks (he spends plenty of time in that city) and other clubs.

Miami plans to be first in line to make its free-agent case, when the windows open at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. It’s unclear if they will speak to Wade directly or just his representatives, if such a meeting occurs.

All this comes with risks for both Wade and the Heat.

On one hand, Wade might not find anyone willing to pay as much in the short term as Miami would have this season. On the other, the Heat could lose the face of their franchise, their all-time scoring leader and someone revered in the Miami market.

Wade told the AP after the season that he wants to stay in Miami, and even was photographed wearing a Heat cap in recent days at his fantasy camp. But it’s also clear that he wants to still be paid like an elite player, and that could force the Heat into making a tough decision.

Bosh received a $118 million, five-year deal last summer. Point guard Goran Dragic is expected to stay with the Heat, but his free-agent deal could be another five-year commitment in the range of $90 million. Center Hassan Whiteside is expected to command big money in the summer of 2016 when megastars Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis could be free agents.

And it’s unclear if Wade — who has never been the highest-paid player on his team — would handle being potentially the fourth-highest-paid player on a Heat roster in two years.

“The one thing that I’ve learned about free agency is that when a player has an opportunity to be a free agent, you give him the space and the time to think about that,” Riley said. “I don’t care how long he’s been with the franchise. We love Dwyane.”

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Rajah Caruth: Young Trailblazer of NASCAR

Imagine you’re only 22 years old and already making a name for yourself in NASCAR, one of the most thrilling sports in the US. That is the life of Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver. (File Photo)

By Tamara Shiloh

Born June 11, 2002, in Washington, DC, he was drawn to the sport as a child after seeing the Disney Pixar film “Cars.”

Caruth dreamed of tooling around the track like the main character in “Cars,” Lightning McQueen. His enthusiasm grew when his parents surprised him with a trip to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway when he was 12.

In 2018, while keeping busy with school, sports and a summer job, Caruth and his family held fundraisers so that he could buy an iRacing simulator. Then, at age 16, he traded a real driver’s license to race virtually in the eNASCAR Ignite Series, which led to him being recruited by the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program.

His first big opportunity came in 2019 when he competed in a “Legends” car at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Bojangles’ Southern Shootout and recorded two top-third in the semi-pro points.

People began to recognize Caruth’s talents. In 2020, he stepped up to the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and became the first African American to win at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in a late model race. The next year, he won at Tri-County Motor Speedway and picked up his fourth overall late model victory.

Then, he became the first person of color to win at the South Carolina track.

In 2021, Caruth announced he would compete full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East for Rev Racing, where he finished third in the standings, including a series of top-five finishes. He made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on a bigger stage as well.

Then, in 2022, thing really took off. A new chapter found Caruth at NASCAR’s unofficial Triple A league with GMS Racing, where he drives full-time for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, with a sponsorship from The Wendell Scott Foundation. After a few setbacks, he broke into the top 10 several times, finishing at a career-high 6th at Darlington Raceway.

Fast-forward to 2024, and Caruth’s took the third major step in his career. He is now driving full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Spire Motorsports and has been making the news for putting on stellar performances. Oh, and he won at Las Vegas: his first career victory.

From an impressionable young racing fan to a professional NASCAR driver, Caruth is charting a new path, creating history, and inspiring people to always remember that if you have the talent, the drive, and most of all, the heart, anything can be achieved.

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Salesian Coach Knew Angel Jackson Could Play in WNBA

Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson. “If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said. That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Angel Jackson. Photo courtesy of Jackston State.

The Richmond Standard

Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson.

“If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said.

That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.

Jackson’s success came as little surprise to Pezzola, who last year led the Pride to their 8th North Coast Section championship since he took over the program in 2008-2009. In 2019, Pezzola commended Jackson as “a very coachable kid” from the time she arrived at Salesian.

Tomekia Reed, her coach at Jackson State, shared similar sentiments, noting Jackson worked “very hard” to reach this moment.

“She came into our program doing great things and never looked back,” Reed told the Clarion Ledger. “She has trusted our leadership as we were able to develop her into an amazing player. I have watched her improve tremendously over the years.”

The 6’-6” Jackson played three seasons at the University of Southern California before transferring to Jackson State. She was ranked 10th in the NCAA in blocked shots and averaged 10 points per game in her final college season.

She finished her collegiate career with 1,047 points and was twice named Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

As the 36th pick, Jackson was the final pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In a television interview, Jackson said she didn’t expect to be picked, and called the moment “surreal.”

“It made me feel so appreciative that HBCU is getting back on the map again,” she said.

All she could do in that moment was cry.

“I called my mom immediately, and she started crying,” Jackson said. “It was the best moment you can feel as a young lady.”

There’s no stopping Jackson now. “The sky is the limit,” she said.

Her high school coach agrees.

“I knew that Angel could do it,” Coach Pezzola told the Richmond Standard this week. “We are so proud of Angel and what she has accomplished. It was an honor and joy to coach Angel at Salesian.”

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Oakland WNBA Player to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February. Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo Courtesy of Alexis Gray Lawson.

By Post staff

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February.

Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

The banquet and ceremony will be held from 5:45 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the George P. Scotlan Convention Center at Oakland’s Marriott Civic Center Hotel.

“I am truly honored to receive this incredible nomination,” said Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, who, along with college teammate Devanei Hampton, lead Oakland Tech to its second consecutive state title in 2005. “It took a village to raise me and get me here, and I truly am excited to continue the legacy.”

Gray-Lawson, a “second team” Parade All-American and an All-State honoree, as a senior in ’05, was chosen for the California Interscholastic Federation sportsmanship award. She only lost one game throughout her four-year career in high school. Her jersey was retired at Oakland Tech and placed in the National High School Hall of Fame as a four-time All-City recipient, averaging 17.2 points per game during her career.

Gray-Lawson received scholarships in volleyball, softball, and basketball before deciding to travel up College Avenue to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she played in more basketball games (143) than any other player in Golden Bears’ history. She finished her career as the Bears all-time 3-point leader (211), and she is ranked third in scoring with 1,982 points.

An All-Pac 10 and honorable mention All-American in 2010, Gray-Lawson also was the top player at 5’8” or under for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award. Later that year, she was a third-round pick of the Washington Mystics in 2010 and played with the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association in 2011 and 2012. She also played professionally overseas in Turkey and Israel.

Other inductees are Clifford Ray (Basketball); Lee Lacy (Baseball); Spencer Haywood (Basketball); and Mohinder Singh Gil (Track & Field).

Organizers say the event promises to be a “historic and celebratory evening,” and iconic personalities from across the professional sports industry and its various disciplines will attend.

The no-host cocktail hour begins at 5:45 p.m.; dinner at 6:45 p.m.; and the ceremony at 7:45 p.m. All times are prompt. General tickets are $250.00; Seniors (65 and older) $150.00, and students $50. This includes dinner and the ceremony. Tables of 10 are available as well, and early purchase is recommended.

MESHOF is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring athletes from all corners of the globe who have made significant contributions to the world of sports and broadening the public’s understanding of the contributions people of color have made to professional sports; and to provide educational life skills and mentorship opportunities for deserving youth. Proceeds will help maintain the City of Oakland’s Curt Flood Field, Oakland Parks & Recreation, and MESHOF’s after school and mental health initiatives.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.multiethnicsportshof.com. For additional information, please contact: Arif Khatlib @ afrosportshall@aol.com or India Alston @ india@beamcreativehouse.com