Hall Of Famer Dwyane Wade Reflects On Miami Heat's Travyon Martin Tribute In 2012
It took a tragedy that hit close to home for Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade to understand the power of his voice.
In 2012, Wade orchestrated the Miami Heat to show their support for Trayvon Martin, who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman.
"I remember that day that I woke up to the news and I think for me I saw my kids in Trayvon," Wade said Friday during his Hall of Fame press conference. "I didn't understand how to use this microphone at that time. We did interviews all the time and we talked about basketball but I understand the power of this microphone."
Shortly after, Wade changed his profile pic on social media to one of him wearing a hoodie. Martin was shot in the Orlando after Zimmerman began following him because he was wearing a hoodie.
The rest of the Heat players then joined Wade by posing for this iconic photo. For Wade, it was the beginning of him being more than just a basketball player.
"I felt like that was a perfect time for me to step out of the basketball talk and step into the community talk and be a community leader," Wade said. "... I didn't want this to be swept under the rug like a lot of killings when it comes to young black kids in America. That started me standing up and using my microphone for something bigger than just talking about my stats or wins and losses."
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