Dwyane Wade, Isiah Thomas Comment on Gun Violence in Chicago
Chicago Bulls superstar guard Dwyane Wade stated he's willing to do his part to help curb the problems associated with gun violence in his hometown, but he wants help from other members of the community in order to start seeing real change in the Windy City.
Wade, who returned home to Chicago as a free agent in July, sat down with Matt Winer of NBA TV's Beyond the Paint for the show's season premiere, which will air Friday, to discuss the hot-button topic. He said he'll do whatever he can to help, but the 12-time All-Star knows he cannot do it alone.
"I also challenge the city of Chicago. I also challenge the community," he said. "Its community leaders. Its people in these communities that's doing very well, as well. I also challenge parents to do more."
The 34-year-old future Hall of Famer has openly discussed the topic since his cousin, Nykea Aldridge, was killed in August amid a gun battle on the city's South Side.
Ralph Ellis and Vivian Kuo of CNN reported two men, Darwin Sorrells Jr. and Derren Sorrells, have been charged in the case. They are alleged gang members who were both on parole for previous gun convictions at the time of the incident involving Aldridge.
Wade told Winer his family has attempted to forgive those involved because many of those connected to the violence were raised in that environment. Alas, the guard said the issue still takes on an even greater importance when a relative was involved:
"When it's happened to your family. When your auntie is the one that's crying on your shoulder. If you're looking at your nephews and your nieces and their whole life is turned upside down. You're looking a three-week old baby, and you realize she will never get to know her mother. Like, all these things when it's up close, when it's personal, when it's in your family, it really becomes real.
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Former NBA star Isiah Thomas, who's also a Chicago native, is also featured in the Beyond the Paint piece working with youth basketball players in the area.
“We’d like to let the whole world know that there are more positive things that come out of our community than negative things." Thomas told a gym filled with players and fans.
The efforts by Wade and Thomas come at a time when Chicago is seeing alarming rates of gun violence. Erin Donaghue of CBS News, citing the Chicago Tribune, reported in September homicides for 2016 had already surpassed the 2015 total (491) at 522. In addition, more than 3,000 people had been shot with more than three months left in the year.
Those troublesome numbers were bolstered by a particularly violent August. Jeremy Gorner, Peter Nickeas and Elvia Malagon of the Chicago Tribune reported it was the city's most violent month in nearly two decades.
