Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade was set to debut his own tinted goggles against the New York Knicks. The NBA, however, had different plans.
The Heat had sent the league photographs of the glasses that Wade was practicing with this week, but after a Thursday afternoon review, the league deemed that the glasses were too dark and rejected them.
The goggles provided "an unfair advantage by the opponent not being able to see your eyes," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, according to The Associated Press. Instead, Wade was forced to use an NBA-approved pair that was much less tinted.
"They made a ruling and you abide by it, so I had to make an adjustment on the fly," Wade said. "It wasn't ideal for me, but what can I do?"
Throughout the game, Wade became increasingly annoyed with the goggles. His frustration became especially apparent when he turned the ball over to Knicks rookie Landry Fields while attempting to fix them when they fogged up. This was just one of Wade’s six turnovers in the game.
He went 6-for-14 at the free-throw line and missed all seven of his field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, the Heat couldn’t contain New York, who climbed back to win 93-88.
"I haven't grasped the concept how to shoot with goggles from the free throw line," Wade said. "I see Amare [Stoudemire] pull them up. I'm seeing Bo Outlaw, Buck Williams, all them guys who wear goggles pull them up, but I shoot different. If I try to do that I'm going to hit the goggles."
Following migraine issues from last weekend, in which the All-Star guard missed Miami’s victory on Saturday, Wade has been experiencing light sensitivity. He has suffered from chronic migraines for years.
Though his numbers weren’t as impressive, Wade reported that he did not have any headaches during the game.
