NBA Rumors 2012: Dwyane Wade Believes Heat vs....

In NBA rumors 2012 edition, the season schedule is now underway, but Dwayne Wade believes his Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks game tonight should've been canceled. This is due to the recent devastation that Hurricane Sandy wreaked on New York City and many other areas of the east coast, which led to the Brooklyn Nets game against the Knicks on Thursdy night being re-scheduled.

D-Wade's comments regarding tonight's game were recently captured by Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. Wade spoke of the fact there are more important things to deal with than sports in the city, and also how Miami and Florida deal with hurricane weather quite often. Wade said following a shootaround on Friday morning:

"I don't think we should be playing tonight. There are bigger things, things of more importance, in this city right now.

Obviously, sports are something that takes people's minds away from things but I think there are bigger things that need to be done here in the city.

Hopefully we can give someone a different perspective."

His Heat teammate, LeBron James, added similar sentiments, although he said he was 50-50 on this, believing that basketball could be the entertainment many people and their families need to lift their spirits. James also added "I'm not in control of that," when asked if he felt tonight's game should be played.

It's true that the players on the court can do many things to offer their own help and even donations to assist people in the area. Many of them have families or friends that live in NYC. However, they are probably one of the most in-demand teams to watch play live and while Wade is right, there's plenty of people who might want to take their minds off other things. So this game will go forth, and will serve as the official home opener for the New York Knicks. Miami is currently the favorite to win, coming off their opening night victory over the Boston Celtics, and looking to be the strongest contender in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics, Knicks, Nets, Pacers should all factor into the discussion for the "upper echelon" of the East, but until someone proves they can handle this Miami Heat team, it's a moot point.

Tonight's game goes live at 8PM EST on ESPN, and while the mood might not be as electric as usual in Madison Square Garden, the players will keep with the schedule and try to put on a show as best they can.

Do you believe tonight's Heat vs. Knicks game should be canceled, or is it a good idea to keep with the schedule and attempt to lift spirits in this manner?

(Image Source: Wikimedia)