From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Best Celebrity Appearance

October 18 2006

Dwyane Wade discussing Pride and Prejudice
April 13, Chapman Conference Center at Miami Dade College, Miami, Penguinclassics.com

When Penguin Classics book-publishing company went searching for pro basketball players for its "Aim High, Live Classic" promotion, it found a qualified partner in Wade, who knew more about Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice than he had been letting on in his three years with the Miami Heat. To elaborate on what he knew about the story of a headstrong young woman who learns a lesson or two, Wade appeared at the Chapman Conference Center at Miami Dade College for "A Conversation With Dwyane Wade." Imagine that: a great athlete who is sensitive enough and smart enough to see a parallel in his life story growing up on the south side of Chicago to that of a young girl in Victorian England. On the Penguin Classics Web site, Wade observes, "Class struggle, overcoming stereotypes and humble beginnings, getting out of your own way and letting love take over: These are things I can relate to, definitely." We don't know if Wade's affection for Pride and Prejudice had anything to do with the Heat winning the NBA title, but just in case it did, maybe he should read it again before the next season starts.