In honor of Wade, those colleagues will gather tomorrow night to completely ruin him via a roast that promises "nothing will be off-limits." Don't worry, though — it's all in the name of helping children and giving back to the community.
Jax Celebrity Roast — hosted by Jason Jackson, a 20-time Emmy-winning TV host and courtside reporter for Heat telecasts — plans to donate all proceeds to the Wade Family Foundation, an organization the NBA star formed in 2003 to better the lives of at-risk children. The roast will be held at 1 Hotel South Beach, and tickets are still available if seeing one of South Florida's all-time sports icons get ribbed is your thing.
Planned roasters include former teammates Jimmy Butler and Udonis Haslem, professional comedians Chris Spencer and "Rayzor" Raymond Davis, and probably a surprise guest here and there. We can't guarantee his old bosses Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra or Wade's wife, Gabrielle Union, will take turns burning him, so you'll have to snag a ticket to find out.
"Dwyane Wade adopted Miami, and Miami adopted Dwyane right back. His impact on the court allowed him to change lives off the court for over a decade and a half, in our community and beyond," Jackson said in a media release. "As we did with DJ Irie and Jason Taylor before him, we take this night to honor Wade's dual legacy. It just won't feel that way as we’re doing it!"
Following a VIP red-carpet ceremony, ticketholders and invited guests of the Wade Foundation will see the man of the hour roasted and toasted by major celebrities. Tickets are still available for the roast and an afterparty; if you can't make it to either event, there's nothing stopping you from donating to the foundation.
The Jax Celebrity Roast Featuring Dwyane Wade. 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, October 12, at 1 Hotel South Beach, 2341 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Tickets cost $233.99 plus fees for the roast and $203.99 plus fees for the afterparty via eventbrite.com. Donations are also welcome.