Dwyane Wade’s hot pink pants: The kind of thing you can get away with when you drop 41
What is that, Dwyane Wade? Is that fuchsia? That's nice.
Coming off back-to-back excellent performances, the star Miami Heat guard entered Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Thursday night intent on making a statement in Game 6 by putting away the Indiana Pacers in dominating fashion ... an intent he declared with some dominating fashion that stunned even teammate and noted fashionplate LeBron James before the game, according to ESPN's Rachel Nichols:
LeBron: "Damn, for real, those are closeout pants? And the finger sleeve?"
Wade: "You gotta coordinate."
LeBron: "You look like Eddie Murphy in the '80s."
Wade: "Eddie Murphy wishes he looked like me."
I mean, especially now.
It's not a bad goof by LeBron — the simple combination of words "Eddie Murphy in the '80s" is a pretty can't-miss laugh-inducer — but strictly speaking, assuming James is referring to the bright leather suits Murphy rocked for "Delirious" and "Raw," it's not quite accurate. What Wade brought to the arena was actually more of a Chad Johnson/Ochocinco or John Daly look, when you get right down to it, with maybe a bit of "Nashville Star" winner Chris Young thrown in, via that wrist bandana (obviously). If anything, Present-Day Eddie Murphy kind of has more of a Russell Westbrook thing going on, really.
[Related: Dwyane Wade and LeBron James at peak as Heat roll into East finals]
Regardless of their analogue or origin, Wade's pink pants caught many an observer's gaze, including the jaundiced eye of NBA TV host Rick Kamla, who proclaimed them a "flagrant fashion foul" during the cable network's "NBA Game Time" program. While I am sure such critiques wound Wade to his core, he's probably found some solace in the fact that he got to show out before, during and after a 41-point, 10-rebound performance that sent him to the Eastern Conference finals for the fourth time in eight years.
Well, that, and the knowledge that, as any major mom would say in times like these, if they're making fun of you, they're just jealous:
I'll leave it to someone else to prove Wade wrong by effectively rocking pink pants; he's dead on in my case. Luckily, we're guaranteed at least four more opportunities to see what Wade can come up with next.
Hat-tip to Brian Floyd at SB Nation.
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
• Streaker gives Cardinals fans a night to remember in St. Louis
• David Beckham plans to send President Obama his underwear
• Y! TV: 'American Idol' loses TV ratings crown to football
