Dwyane Wade's Big Boston Miss: Is Hero Ball the New Choking?

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Dwyane Wade was a 27 percent 3-pointer shooter this season. He hunted for that shot out of pure theatrics.

— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) June 4, 2012"

This was a bad, broken play, mostly thanks to Dwyane Wade. A pick was set for Mario Chalmers; Wade slowly dribbled back across his body, compromising the passing angle. But it didn't appear like Wade was interested in passing.

While I can't claim to read the man's mind, this looked like a shot hunt at glory. Considering Wade's bad three-point shooting, this wasn't exactly the move of a blackjack card counter. 

In theory, though, we like athletes for doing this. It's that fabled "willingness to take the big shot." Overconfidence is admired, as it demonstrates an attempt to transcend the moment, to not succumb to fear. 

Or at least, we did. The consensus reaction to Wade's shot was not positive in the slightest. As writers and fans get smarter, confidence alone may not carry the day anymore. "Hero ball" has become the chic pejorative to describe what we used to love. In the recent past, we'd crush an athlete (LeBron) for passing under pressure. Today, we might rip our "closers" for playing like Kobe Bryant.