There is a guy around these parts, about 6 feet 3 inches, maybe a little past 200 pounds or so. He has done some amazing things not seen in years and has galvanized the South Florida community. We have all watched his progression since he came here and thrilled to see where he has arrived and has, by his exploits, taken our emotions. I am speaking of one other than the super special, Dwayne Wade, shooting guard for the Miami Heat basketball team. He is the talk around the water cooler today in many south Florida offices as well as offices nationwide.

Unfortunately, Dwayne’s shining moments in these NBA playoffs might be falling under the radar of many around here because of the huge amount of soccer fans in this area of the world, however, ESPN and other sports agencies have taken notice of what we already knew here in South Florida and that is, that Dwayne Wade is a very special player. “Flash” is becoming an icon not just in this area, but in the annals of basketball and also sports history and he is only 23.

In one game earlier this year against perennial powerhouse, Detroit, he scored 17 straight points to help the Heat win what seemed like a sure loss to the Detroit Pistons. If not for that game, the Heat would have lost 4 games to Detroit this year in the regular season without one win against their heated rivals. We now know what he did to Detroit in the playoffs. For all who know him and for us who have seen him all year long on he local stations, this is not really a surprise, but I think the showcase he is putting on exceeded even the most ardent fan. On a night when the Dallas Mavericks labeled Dwayne as enemy number 1, employing every possible defensive scheme to stop him including hard fouls and triple teams, he still scored 43 points and most of them in pressure situations, two of them at the free throw line while standing there all alone, thousands of fans cheering with 1.9 seconds on the game clock, his team down by one, needing one to keep their season and championship drive alive and another to put his team in the driver’s seat. He calmly sank both free throws, neither one touching the rim. Nothing but net. They might as well have been daggers placed with precision into the hearts of the collective Dallas team and organization, at least for this Father’s Day night.

Miami is a city in a county once called “Dade County.” In the minds of his fans, the area has become affectionately known as “Wade County.” Watching him play, you would know why.