Cross
12-14-2006, 03:57 AM
MIAMI--Referee Steve Javie saw the Heat's Dwyane Wade commit several fouls during Friday night’s Denver-Miami game, but couldn’t bring himself to blow the whistle. Like many officials, Javie has too much respect for the classy Wade to call a foul on him.
“Yea, I admit, I gave Dwyane some preferential treatment tonight,” said Javie. “I just can’t help it. I simply cannot bring myself to make a call against him. He’s just such a class act, you know? And he plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played. Guys like that come along once in a blue moon and when they do you’ve got to step aside and let them play. Hey, criticize me all you want. I have the respect of Dwyane Wade. Do you?”
Javie cited two incidents in the third quarter as examples of the admiration he has for Wade.
“D-Wade charged into the lane and knocked over a defender who had his legs planted,” Javie recalled. “It was an offensive foul all the way. But then I thought about what a great guy he is, and how well he carries himself on and off the court, and I decided not to call it. Later in the quarter he drove for a lay-up again, and this time I called a defensive foul. Nobody touched him, so I just charged it to the nearest defender. And one, baby! Yea! Unfortunately the Heat still lost the game, but it wasn’t D-Wade’s fault, and it wasn’t my fault. So I slept okay that night.”
“Yea, I admit, I gave Dwyane some preferential treatment tonight,” said Javie. “I just can’t help it. I simply cannot bring myself to make a call against him. He’s just such a class act, you know? And he plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played. Guys like that come along once in a blue moon and when they do you’ve got to step aside and let them play. Hey, criticize me all you want. I have the respect of Dwyane Wade. Do you?”
Javie cited two incidents in the third quarter as examples of the admiration he has for Wade.
“D-Wade charged into the lane and knocked over a defender who had his legs planted,” Javie recalled. “It was an offensive foul all the way. But then I thought about what a great guy he is, and how well he carries himself on and off the court, and I decided not to call it. Later in the quarter he drove for a lay-up again, and this time I called a defensive foul. Nobody touched him, so I just charged it to the nearest defender. And one, baby! Yea! Unfortunately the Heat still lost the game, but it wasn’t D-Wade’s fault, and it wasn’t my fault. So I slept okay that night.”