Dwyane Wade has been in the public eye for most of his life.
Never like this, though.
Wade was announced Tuesday as one of the cover models for this year's ESPN The Magazine's "Body Issue," which will be released online July 6 and hit newsstands July 8. The Miami Heat star spent several hours at a shoot for the magazine last month, posing without clothes after turning down invitations to be part of the issue multiple times in recent years.
"I was very nervous. Very nervous," Wade said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It was not natural for me. There's some people who can get in front of the camera without anything on, but it was not natural for me at all. Not one moment of it. But deep down inside, deep down, it felt good to overcome something -- my fear, my insecurity."
Super Bowl MVP Von Miller and NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta also will be featured in the eighth annual issue.
Other athletes photographed include NFL stars Antonio Brown and Vince Wilfork, UFC champion Conor McGregor, WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne, swimmer Nathan Adrian, beach volleyball Olympian April Ross, soccer player Christen Press, wrestler Adeline Grey, boxer Claressa Shields and retired diver Greg Louganis. Duathlete Chris Mosier is the first transgender athlete to appear in the issue.
In past years, Wade declined the magazine's request without hesitation.
"Absolutely not. No way. No. No. No," Wade said. "That was always my reaction."
But now, the 12-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion said he's evolving and feels more freedom than ever before. He's also touting his underwear line, Naked -- and figured that alone helped make the timing right to take the plunge and pose.
"I'm at the point in my life where I'm 34 years old and understand where I am in life," Wade said. "I know how I'm going. I'm at this point where I'm doing things I never thought I would, trying things that I never thought I would, that I always said no to. I'm trying not to be that guy. I'm trying to be more open to living life and enjoying it and everything that comes with it. So they caught me at the right moment."
Head case
For the past three years someone has been without his signed Miami Dolphins helmet said to be worth about $2,000. The helmet has been in the hands of Boynton Beach (Fla.) Police by way of a burglary suspect, and the department is once again trying to find its owner.
If not, it's going to auction.
The helmet -- signed by seven players of the 1972 undefeated team -- was found in the Boynton home of burglary suspect Joseph Schneider in March 2013 while officers searched for stolen items.
Police hope to find the owner. If not, the helmet will be sent to auction on propertyroom.com, said Stephanie Slater, the department's spokesman.
The helmet is signed by Hall of Famers Don Shula, Larry Csonka, Jim Langer and Larry Little. It's also signed by Mercury Morris, Jim Kiick and Garo Yepremian.
Rookie mistake
Attendants had to kick in the door to rescue Carson Wentz after the Eagles' rookie QB got locked inside a gas station restroom.
"What'd you expect them to do," wrote Dwight Perry of The Seattle Times, "flush him from the pocket?"
Sports on 06/22/2016