Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade was suspended for one game without pay by the NBA for extending his leg and making contact with the groin of the Charlotte Bobcats' Ramon Sessions.
The NBA announced the suspension on Thursday by Stu Jackson, the NBA's executive vice president for basketball operations. Jackson said that Wade violated the rules by "flailing his leg and making contact with the groin."
The incident occurred with 8:12 left in the fourth quarter of the Heat's 105-92 victory over the Bobcats on Wednesday night. Wade was not called for a foul of any kind at the time.
Sessions was called for a foul on the play, but on the video it can be seen that Wade clearly extends his leg into the players' groin. Following the play, the two players got up close and exchanged words.
"I'm far from being a dirty player + my intent was never 2 kick Ramon Sessions," Wade tweeted Thursday night in reaction to the suspension. "I just reacted to the contact that I got from him.... More than anything, I think of my boys watchin me be4 retaliating 2ward any player. Im moving 4ward + ready 2 get back on the court in MIL."
Sessions is known as an aggressive defender and was playing Wade fairly close for most of the night. Wade had 29 points and nine rebounds in the game and will serve his suspension on Friday night on the road against the Detroit Pistons.
"I thought he did it on purpose," Sessions told reporters after the game.
The incident has brought up the question of whether or not Wade is a dirty player by some in league circles and in the media. Wade is a two-time NBA champion and an Olympic Gold medalist, but has been prone to making some controversial plays over the past few years.
Wade does not have the reputation as a dirty player, but there is some evidence to back things up. During the 2011 playoffs, Wade and Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo got mixed up with each other when Wade appeared to put out his leg and bring Rondo down to the court. Rondo suffered a dislocated elbow on the play and has said in the past that Wade has been involved in some "dirty plays."
During the All-Star game last season, Wade broke Kobe Bryant's nose after reaching at the ball from behind him. Wade appeared to be playing a bit more aggressively than everyone else in the game at the time, but everyone saw the play as an accident rather than dirty. Still, it raises the question about Wade's intensity at times and whether he can let anger get the best of him.
Wade has been called for a number of flagrant fouls over the past two seasons, including last year when he threw his forearm at Chicago Bulls guard Richard Hamilton near the sidelines during the regular season and in the playoffs when he hit Pacers guard Darren Collison hard on a fast break from the blindside into the ground.
Wade has been solid for the Heat this season, averaging just over 20 points and 4.6 assist per game. The Heat are 20-6 on the year and are ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring offense with 103 points per game. Miami has won six straight games since losing 97-95 to Golden State and have been exceptional at home this year, going 14-2.
The Heat are 8-2 in the past 10 games, with Wade scoring at least 21 points in four of the past five. He hasn't posted a single double-double game this season, but scored a high of 34 points earlier this month in a 102-89 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Wade has played in 23 games this season and has been averaging 32 minutes per contest while shooting over 50 percent from the field.
As Wade gets older in age, the Heat are relying more on LeBron James and Chris Bosh. James is leading the team in scoring, rebounds and assists and has been averaging over 26 points during the last 10-game stretch.
Wade will be eligible to return on Saturday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, who are 15-12 on the season and just 8-6 at home. In the last game against Milwaukee, Wade had 28 points, four assists and three rebounds as the Heat won 113-106.
