The nephew of Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade was one of 13 people injured in a shooting spree in Chicago on Thursday. REUTERS/Brent SmithBrent Smith/Reuters
Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade played against the Raptors in Toronto on Friday night knowing that his nephew had been injured in a shooting following a violent outburst in the player's home town of Chicago.
A spokesman for Wade confirmed that his nephew was one of those injured in a Thursday shooting at a convenience store. The spokesperson declined to confirm the nephew's name or condition and neither did Wade after the game.
"I played with a heavy heart and I played for him and with him in my mind," the Heat star said after he scored 30 points during a 113-101 victory over the Raptors. "I was nine years old when he was born, I was an uncle at nine years old. A lot of thoughts go through your mind."
Wade did say his nephew was in hospital and that he was glad to hear he was doing well.
"It's very concerning," Wade said. "A lot of work that I do in the community in Chicago is about this and to have a family member, my nephew, be involved in it, it's sad. It hurts your heart to think about not only your family but other families going through it.
"I'm just glad that he's fine and hopefully he recovers."
In a written statement released before the game, Wade said he didn't have all the details of what went down in Chicago.
"My thoughts and prayers are with all involved, including my nephew and sister," Wade said in the statement. "Having grown up in the inner-city, I am aware of the difficult realities that exist on the streets. One of the goals of my foundation, the Wade's World Foundation, is to continue to spread the message that the violence needs to stop."
Wade's nephew was reportedly one of 13 men shot -- two fatally -- during a violent six-hour stretch in Chicago.
The nephew was one six males shot at a store on Chicago's South Side at about 6 p.m. Thursday by hooded men who police said fled the scene in an SUV.
One man was dead at the scene and four others — ranging in age from 16 to 24 — were hospitalized in critical condition. The Cook County medical examiner's office identified the slain man as a 22-year-old.