NBA suspends Heat's Wade for low blow to Bobcats' Sessions

By Ben Golliver

The NBA announced Thursday that Heat guard Dwyane Wade has been suspended one game without pay for "flailing his leg and making contact with the groin of the Charlotte Bobcats’ Ramon Sessions" during a Wednesday night game.

Wade will not be available for Miami's game Friday against the Pistons in Detroit. The suspension will cost Wade roughly $156,200 of his $17.2 million salary.

Wade's low blow came after Sessions fouled him near midcourt with the Heat leading the Bobcats 83-79 with 8:14 remaining in the fourth quarter. Miami went on to win the game 105-92.

Sessions appeared to foul Wade intentionally to slow down a potential transition opportunity. Wade initially tried to avoid the contact by dribbling hard to his right but couldn't escape Sessions' grasp. He then followed through with a left kicking motion directly to the groin of Sessions, which caused him to double over. Once back on his feet, Sessions appealed to Wade, as if to ask him why he had done that, and the two exchanged words before an official intervened. The conversation continued for roughly 20 seconds.

No additional fouls -- flagrant, technical or otherwise -- were assessed aside from Sessions' initial foul.

Wade tweeted on Thursday that the kick wasn't intentional.

"I'm far from being a dirty player and my intent was never to kick Ramon Sessions," Wade wrote. "I just reacted to the contact that I got from him. More than anything, I think of my boys watching me before retaliating toward any player. I'm moving forward  and ready to get back on the court in Milwaukee."

The Charlotte Observer reports that Sessions said after the game that he felt the blow was intentional.

“I thought he did it on purpose, and it wasn’t called,’’ said Sessions, who made seven of 12 shots from the field.

Earlier this season, Celtics guard Rajon Rondo accused Wade of making "dirty plays" during his career.

Video via YouTube user NBACalifornia