DWade shoe giveaway!!!

Hey Flash fans—we’ve got a team’s worth of prizes.

by Ben Osborne Unknown

SLAM 127 is on sale everywhere (in the US at least) by now and subscription copies have gone out too…time for a-a reminder to those of you who do not have it to go get it! and b-a dope contest related to the issue.

As always, our friends at Converse (what up Paul!) have come up big in an effort to deliver DWade goodies to his real fans. Check out all that we have in store for deserving readers…

-Two signed Wade 3 shoes (right foot only; pictured below the cover). As you can see in the image, it’s got a really nice silver signature on one of Dwyane’s great shoes.

-10 pairs of Wade Slashes (any size, any of the three colorways shown in this post). As in, whoever wins will get to tell me their size and what colorway they want and Converse will send us a pair specifically for the winners.

How do you win? I wish I could make sure only owners of the issue entered, but we don’t get down like that. Technically this is a “no-purchase-necessary” giveaway (like always) and anyone on here can win. So here’s what I came up with…to me, while Kobe and LeBron have been typically amazing (don’t want to sound like I’m taking their greatness for granted, but in a way you could say their seasons were expected), Dwyane signed-wade3 has been the individual story of the season. I’m not ashamed at all to say I didn’t see it coming. Yes, I know what he did in the Finals. Yes, I saw the gold-medal game. Yes, I stated vehemently that the Heat would win 45 games (in Eboy’s preview, in some Lang comments, and in NOYZ all season; shoot, Lang and I have a bet on it). Shit, I wrote one fo the first national features on Dwyane before he left Marquette, so it’s not like he hasn’t been on my radar for a long time. But still…30-5-8-2-1? At 6-4? After two straight severely shortened seasons? Leading a young, short, mediocre team to the brink of home-court advantage in the first-round of the Playoffs? Remarkable. Given all that, my question is: When did YOU see Dwyane in his current light, which is Top Three Current Players and a MVP candidate, if not favorite? At Robbins High? Marquette? Rookie year? The Finals? If you’re like me, the true answer might be like March 9 of this year! If you really saw it coming a long time ago, cool. But I’m not necassarily going to give the prizes to those who can claim the longest lead time on seeing DWade turn out like this. As always, I’m looking for creativity, passion and good reasoning.

That’s it. Just do your thing in the comment section by explaining when you knew Dwyane could be this good. In my opinion, the two signed shoes are the cooler of the prize options, so they’ll go to places 1 and 2. Places 3-12 will win their own pair of Wade Slashes (from left, the colors are white-black-red, white-blue and black-silver).

We’ll let this percolate this week and then pick winners Friday.

Thanks for playing!

Wade colorways

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Tags: Converse, Dwyane Wade, Feature Too, Features, Miami Heat

Read the SLAMonline Discussion Rules before posting.

Tyler

Hey Ben, hopefully this doesnt get soo many responses that you don’t remember the earlier ones!!

can you imagine if that shot went in last night how many more comments you’d be getting….

well its almost friday, can’t wait for the winners to be announced
Dan S

^^^^^Me too. Lot of great and different responses on here. I really learned a lot over reading these.
http://aol.com Michael Pirc

when wade was in college at marquette i saw him and knew he was going to be the next mj (i know hes not even close but still) he just had soo much athletic ability and is soo quick when i saw him at marquette thats why i thought he was going to be soo good, and his sick hops, i remember when they played G-town and i was watching it wade jus took over, i think it was fed. 20th or something like that of 02 and there i knew how good he was
http://aol.com Michael Pirc

oh and my shoe size is 6.5 youth,, yea im only 12 sso i was 6 when i first saw waade play,, i hope that doesnt affect anything cause im a huge fan of bball college and pro ive been following since i was 5 so jus cause im 12 dont meen anything
http://aol.com Michael Pirc

oh and my shoe size is 6.5 youth,, yea im only 12 sso i was 6 when i first saw waade play,, i hope that doesnt affect anything cause im a huge fan of bball college and pro ive been following since i was 5 so jus cause im 12 dont meen anything. thanks
http://hibachi20.blogspot.com BETCATS

^muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuwahahaa wee-foot man had a double post!
http://www.shawn-kemps-offspring.blogspot.com Eboy

*****Ben, if you could use this one instead (I’m really trying to go for it)**** When did I know he made “the leap”? It had to be Dwyane’s performance in the Beijing games that was bordering on awe inspiring. But let me rewind a bit. He made that “leap” once before…. in 2006…. when he basically dismembered the Mavs like a red and black chainsaw that was out of control……cutting….terrorizing……destroying a franchises dreams of greatness….right before all our disbelieving eyes. For two weeks that June….he was the greatest player in the game. Without question. Then the injuries hit…some would say complacency took over….and the pride that permiated throughout Miami and it’s fans seemed to dive head first into Biscayne Bay just like the Heat’s performances. Dwyane needed to be the savior……who else was there? So it was time to get back to the lab. Rebuild. Rejuvinate. Rediscover. Fast forward to Beijing. Why was his Olympic performance awe inspiring? It was awe inspiring because no one knew or expected what he was going to bring to the table. Would injuries take any of his explosiveness? Would he be tenative in the lane? Would he have that same game that made so many fall in love with him?…. Once the tournament started and I’m not saying it just as a fan of his, but the American media and the large majority of fans from my beloved SLAM, fellow local supporters in South Florida and on webboards on the “Worldwide Leaders” webpages, among others, seemed to bear out the same, shocked result. Dwyane Wa…..D-Wade, FLASH, was back! Take one guy off the Olympic squad that would have given the US the largest handicap if he wasn’t there? It was Dwyane. Hands down. Try not to forget that almost every game (with the exception of the Angola game) had a tight first period score that seemed to jump incredulously once D-Wade came off the bench. Odd huh? No, actually, not really. It was a forced move due to the perceived slight it would have been to ask Kobe to come off the bench, but anyone with a sliver of common sense knows that it should have been the Mamba as the Miracle to D-Wade’s Smokey in the tournament once it concluded. Dwyane’s determination to silence the critics and his desire to prove himself on the world stage was motivation enough that made his “benching” each game, the fuel to his fire. His athleticism was off the charts, his speed was on par with…well no one else was close in the Olympic tournament except possibly Pat Mills from Australia or Jamaican wonderman Usain Bolt. His attitude showed his swagger to have returned full force too. He lead the team in scoring with two of the the games greatest running side by side with him….and still that was no distraction. This was great news for the fans of Miami Heat basketball. Look… the Heat may not be winning a title anytime soon, but Dwyane has actually made the Heat a respected foe to the great teams of the league (catching wins against the Lakers & the Cavs in wars in Miami, all on the shoulders of Dwyane) and the not so great ones that they struggled with last season that Dwyane has put on notice that all that garbage you talked about his squad (and him) when they were down and you thought it was going to be forgotten? They’re learning the hard lessons he handing out from night to night. He’s got a team believing again…..a city believing again……his biggest fans and his most honest detractors believing again, because he is indeed….back! If Lebron and Kobe are now 1a and 1b in the greatest player ranking in the current NBA landscape in most fans minds, Dwyane has positioned himself as 1c from his work during this season for the ages. The incredible results he’s shown night in and night out all point back to that time spent in Beijing and the reforging of a megastar’s ability that needed to find himself again….prompted by the determination and the fire he’s shown time and time again….all culiminated in that Olympic tournament….being that event’s best player, among OUR games very best……and challenging, quite honestly….for that same title this NBA season with that same unbridled fire he lit up China with to bring back the gold and the pride in the United States game. If they were truly the “Redeem Team”, Dwyane started his long road to redemption there, too. And while the team made US as a country proud…..Dwyane’s fans were just as proud of THEIR returning hero.
adbphilly

****I Wanted to add one more thing to my entry***EVEN WITH A CHAMPIONSHIP RING AND A GOLD MEDAL IN THE OLYMPICS, DWYANE STILL STRIVES TO BE THE BEST HE CAN BE. HE PLAYS THE GAME WITH TRUE LOVE AND THATS WHAT GETS ME, PLAYERS THAT LOVE THE GAME FOR THE GAME.*** To be completely honest, D-Wade did not shine that much to me in his first couple of seasons in the league. He began to catch my eye this past season. But let’s start at the 2003 draft, I was watching Lebron walk up to David Stern in his all white suit as number 1, like everybody projected him to be. Then I saw melo walk the steps up to his NBA career at 3rd going to the Nuggets. I change the channel to another station and when I return to the draft, David is slowly walking up to the podium. The Heat logos are rolling across the small tv screens behind him. The commish opens his mouth and says in his New Jersian accent “With the 5th pick in the 2003 NBA Draaft the Miami Heat select..Dwyane Wade out of Marquette University..” I’m sitting there at home like, “WHO?”. I see the camera on this kid looking down as if he was about to cry. He gets up and hugs everyone around him and quietly walks up the steps to the podium. He shakes Sterns had smiling from ear to ear. I had no clue who this kid was or what he was capable was doing. I didnt realize that at his year at Marquette, he carried his team to the Final Four, the first time in 26 years. When he entered the NBA, I only was able to watch the Heat a couple of times, when nothing else was on. What I saw was a team that was young and just a “building process” team. The young #3 kid in Cons didnt really stand out to me. Then, suddenly, the Heat began to show a little light. They made a blockbuster trade in the offseason of ‘05 to get Shaq from the Lakers. The year after, ‘06 season, the Heat make more noise, by getting to and winning the NBA Championship. Dwyane played spectacularly aside Shaq during the playoffs that year. I started watching Dwyane and the Heat a little bit more than usual after that season. Dwyane had 2 pretty good seasons after the Championship. But then, Shaq gets sent to the Suns last season, and Dwyane is left alone with a team that he started with when he entered the league in ‘03. Shawn Marion was sent to MIA in the trade with Shaq. But Shawn always came up in trade talks so who knew what was going to happen. The Heat ended up with the worst record in the NBA last season, and Dwyane was nursing a shoulder injury. So now we get to summer of 2008. The Beijing Olympics. D-Wade is on the USA Men’s Basketball team. He tells everybody that his shoulder is fine and he is ready to get back to his old D-Wade self. I watched a couple of the USA basketball games, but it seemed like Lebron and Kobe were getting most of the limelight. USA eventually gets the Gold, and become the Redeem Team, following in the footsteps of the 93 USA team. Dwyane showed some old D-Wade during the Olympics but not much. I guess he was saving the rest for the Heats season. Dwyane enters the 08-09 season with vengeance, and he shows it. I start watching more Heat on my League Pass at night. Dwyane is just a red streak going across the screen. To me, he is more incredible than before. Dwyane queitly starts dropping 50 a night. I queitly start following him more and more. The Heat revitalize themselves, placing themselves 5th in the playoff picture. The thing I love most about Dwyane is that he carries his team on his shoulders. He is the “Father” of that team. My eyes began to get wider and wider as I frequently started seeing this man play. He is a flat out warrior who plays night in night out, with no flashy entrance, who just goes into the arena and gets the job done. November 19th, he’s droppin’ 40 against Toronto. November 28th, he has 43 against his ol’ teammate Shaq and the Suns. Most rectently, Feb. 24th, against the Pistons, he is dishing out 16 assists and still is able to rack up 31 points. The game before that against Orlando, he puts in 50. And to put an icing on the cake, March 9th, versus the Chi-town Bulls. This game probably opened up my eyes the most as to see how big of an impact Dwyane is. Dwyane is having his usual game. 17 points at half with an incredible(Kirk Hinrich in his face) halfcourt shot in his face at the buzzer before halftime. Dwyane walks off the court in his EL HEAT uni as if nothing happened. Still another half to go. Dwyane comes out and explodes into the second half. He’s making buckets from all over, picking pockets of Bulls players, ready to put this game into the books with a solid 42. I am watching in disbelief at how “Flash” is just dominating the game. Its a down to the wire type of game. Its 104-101(Bulls) with 11 sec. left in regulation. Dwyane takes it and gets off a beautiful shot behind the 3 pt line to tie things up and send the game into overtime. In the extra session Dwyane has a look on his face that says he’s determined to win this game. Its 117-117 in with 3 ticks left in ot. Whos the ball going to? That’s not even a question. Dwyane takes it for a reverse layup it rattles around the rim, but drops out. 2nd ot. Another down to the wire quarter. 3 seconds left. 127 to 127. These next 3 seconds have me sold on who Dwyane Wade really is. In these 3 seconds I see a humble man of heart, determination, love for the game. I see a future MVP of the League, a future hall of famer. I see a man of pure talent and complete dominance of the game. I see the great story of Dwyane Wade flashing before my eyes. Dwyane steals a lose ball from John Salmons, takes a glance at the clock, and without panic, calmly flicks the ball into the air at the buzzer to watch it gracefully tickle the twine of the net and score 3 for the Heat. Then pandomonium hits.Dwyane runs the court in front of a victorious crowd, yelling to anyone who could hear him “THIS IS MY HOUSE!”. Indeed watching the Arena erupt in such happiness, and seeing a quiet kid from Marquette, doing the things he did that night, I saw the true light of Dwyane Tyrone Wade. The season of 08-09 for the Dwyane Wade helped me see the true grateness of a pure talented athlete. Dwyane Wade, Flash, I hope you get MVP. You truly deserve that honor. Everybody has lebron and kobe. Uh-Uh. Youre the true winner. So I hope you recieve success for your accomplishments. And i hope I get this prize. Much love Dwyane.
El Gee

I was watching this one in real time. February 28, 2008. Wade is at MSG. LeBron did his thing at MSG this year Kobe had a chance to do his. Wade had that chip on his shoulder, felt he didnt get his chane. He playing mediocre basketball. The Knicks seem to be pushing around the heat (they even made Jermaine O’Neal sit because of his knee brace). The refs are giving the Heat nothing. The rooster elbows Wade in the mouth. Hes bleeding. Spoelstra gets a tech. Then I saw it. It was in his eyes. I saw it. He was looking through everyone in MSG. There was nobody else there. He scored 24 that quarter. Told MSG “this is my house”. That’s when I knew. If you saw the game you know exactly what I’m talking about. Exactly.
L33tSauce

Today is the day. Exciting.
Tyler

Someone should tell EL GEE that the game he is talking about was played in Miami, not MSG….however, you could have mentioned Wade drilling the game winner in ’05 at MSG and running around the court after as if it were his house….
http://slamonline.com/ Tzvi Twersky

A big thanks to everybody for posting their thoughts on the matter. The winners have been chosen and their names will be posted shortly. Oh, and Eric Woodyard, I don’t think you’re eligible to win this.
http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

How about Cheryl turning this into “Confessions”? Really, there are some GREAT ones on here. I didn’t think it would be tough to pick 12 winners, but alas, you guys outdid yourselves again…thanks. Winners coming shortly.
http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

Also, if SLAM team members were eligible, Khalid would win hands down. Dude had Dwyane’s greatness, and return to greatness, pegged early.
El Gee

tyler. good call. i thought it was in NY maybe cause nix were dominating and getting all the calls and i was trying to dramatize it a little bit. but the game actually was my dwade moment. he had this look and took the game over. like i said if u saw the game, u no what im talking about. shudda checked my facts though.
El Gee

congrats to the winners
joey benedetto

without a doubt we all saw flashes of wades brilliance in the NBA finals against dallas and after his injury many thought he was done….For me personally i didnt start to see wade as a top 3 player until the olympics…he was arguably the best player on a squad consisting of some of the worlds top athletes…he came off the bench and with no complaints dominated the worlds best competition….he showed the intangibles which elite nba players have including work ethic and selflessness and made certain that the world knew he was back and never fell off…he had the highest scoring average on team usa and i personally think they would not have won gold if it wasnt for wade…i currently go to school at univeristy of miami and can gladly say i get to watch this man handle his business regularly
http://www.celtics.com KobeWearsAPurpleThong

Go winners-it’s your birthday
adbphilly

wait were the winners picked already?
Sir Chuck

Common El Gee your better than that!
MAURICE

His passion was always there i never forgot about that. even in high school and college you could tell dwaynes passion. no matter who he was playing, he always showed his heart and he made the atmosphere know who he was before the game was over. Look, all i’m tryin to say is D-wade has got alot of passion and thats the main ingredient you need to be good (which alot of people continue to forget). And wade knows that basketball is not just about scoring. he knows you gotta play d, box out, rebound, block and all the other extras. He just has all this overflowing passion, heart, and love for just basketball its self and he is just finally getting his chance to show it.
L33tSauce

I don’t see the winners. Am I that blind?
tyler

I don’t see them either, and I’m tryin to go buy a stand to mount the autographed sneaker next to all the other wade autographs
Dan S

Wait so Tyler. U already won?
http://aol.com Michael Pirc

how is that tyler person the only person to win it sais 12 ppl win
http://www.celtics.com KobeWearsAPurpleThong

FYI: Ben didn’t announce winners yet guys. If you look at his last post at around 5pm yesterday it says “winners coming soon…”
Taranvir

Dwayne Wade has really began to prove himself out through his years. Even throughout his high school years he was averaging about 20 points and was a leader. He is a leader, as we have seen in his time as a Miami Heat player. His time at Marquette University was amazing. He took this Golden Eagle team, and made them shine. He was also named into the First Team All-American, becoming the first since 1978.

During the draft, he wasn’t having much popularity because of the other players that were ahead of him. Including Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony and Darco Milic. He stunned the world with his play and began a tremendous rookie season. Ever since that season, he continued to shine bright above others. He has also been compared to greats such as Micheal Jordan, who Wade idolized.

Wade is seen in my eyes as i said a leader, a champion, and I think that he will be the future of the Heat franchise and he will be one of the best players in the next decade. He is a shooter, a passer, a dunker, and a fair winner. Look Out for Wade in The Future!!

-Taranvir Sandhu
G-O

I WON =D I LOVE LIFE
Tom

I knew Wade was going to be this good when the Heat would not include him in the deal for Shaq from the Lakers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s35kBpvxfsc&feature=related James the balla

G-O I was going to read your post lol, but you don’t even have one brother!!
Saint

I knew D-Wade was going to be this good ever since I saw him in the 2003 Midwest Regional Final in the NCAA Tournament when he have 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists help his team win against the Wildcats 83–69, he was the MVP of the game.That when I knew he was going to be that good,I saw potential.
sideburn2go

Dwayne Wade, to me, has always been something of a mystery and his basketball career has continuously inspired awe from me. Now to the question at hand, when I knew he would be great needs a multiple point answer. I say this because he is always raising the bar concerning what he is capable of. I have only seriously followed Wade since his days at Marquette. I had heard about him in his high school days but didn’t know much about him. However at Marquette I saw the potential. The first time I knew he could be good was on a ridiculous put back dunk during his sophomore year. It showed me the athleticism necessary to play in the pros. Then throughout his college career he continued to show what he could become. Then came the game against Kentucky in the NCAA tournament. The triple double he put up was amazing to watch and made me a true believer. I knew then he was going to accomplish great things in the NBA, but what I still didn’t know he was barely scratching the surface. His rookie year he exceeded expectations and grew on the American audience. A flurry of ESPN highlights later, and he was playing in the NBA finals against the Mavs. Down 2 games, D-wade decided to turn it on and played the best singular finals performance I have ever seen. This catapulted him to greatness. A few injury riddled seasons led people to believe he was done, had reached his peak, but I knew he would be back. A gold medal later and people began to remember why they had loved him. Then came this season, and the heroics he has shown throughout the year. He has almost single handedly made the Heat relevant again. He is averaging career highs in nearly all categories, and he has had some games that almost defy explanation. This year has put his name undeniably in the top 3 in the NBA and I believe after the game he had on March 6 they should have handed him the MVP trophy. So back to the original question, “When did I know”, I had always suspected, but never could have guessed just how good he would become. He has always been and will always be one of my all time favorite players. This year has sparked my imagination, and the craziest part is, he can and will still get better. Watch out NBA!
http://slamonline.com/ Tzvi Twersky

Guys, the winners have already been selected. Please reads Ben’s post @1216pm. They will be posted here in due time–i.e soon.
Thanks for playing, and keep your eyes locked for the next contest which is always just around the bend on slamonline.com.
Sir Chuck

Thx SLAM you guys are awesome! Just got myself a pair of white and blue Slashes baby Lets Go Heat!!
http://breakfastatsaks.blogspot.com Ashley K

I mean, look at D-Wade’s team. The fact that he can be so great in the midst of such… erm… mediocrity, speaks to his true talent. But I knew he would be great as soon as he was drafted! I’d love to be able to give these shoes to my BF, he’d love them!
Dan S

Congrats sir chuck. Did they email u?
Taranvir

so if you made a comment today or yesterday, it won’t count or we have no chance of winning?
Dan S

^^^^ sorry man. Ben picked winners friday and they will be posted soon hopefully.
Sir Chuck

Yeah Dan S they did Friday i had a feeling i was going to win lol did u?
Dan S

Nah man. No dice
L33tSauce

lmao.
Dan S

What’s funny man?
L33tSauce

i get that feeling your getting BSed by Sir Chuck. Considering he’s the only one that said anything about winning. Ben would have posted the winners in the topic, he just hasn’t yet.
Dan S

i thought he might be bs’ing me.

sounded like a respectable dude though.

good lookin though l33tSauce
Taranvir

so does anyone know if they won?
Dan S

^^^ no. Ben has to announce it, hopefully tomorrow.

I’m just interested to see what won, cause i couldn’t read every single passage in this whole post. ahhaha
Taranvir

lol ya thts true.
http://www.shawn-kemps-offspring.blogspot.com Eboy

Uhm…..the winners have been picked…..just not posted.
Dan S

Yea but winners haven’t been notified like sir chuck said right?
http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

We pick winners, then we contact them. We don’t announce them to everyone til we hear back because sometimes people put fake emails on their comments. I know, it’s incredibly annoying and dumb, but it happens. So if we “pick” a winner but can’t contact them, we can contact another winner…then we announce all accepted winners at one time. Hope this isn’t too complicated for you guys.

DWade shoe giveaway!!!

Hey Flash fans—we’ve got a team’s worth of prizes.

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