Heat's Dwyane Wade says he wasn't disrespecting O Canada

Dwyane Wade says he meant no disrespect, but expect the Miami Heat star to be a little more, er, respectful Monday night when the Canadian national anthem is played before Game 4 of his team's series against the visiting Toronto Raptors.

Wade caused a minor stir when he was still warming up taking shots as O Canada started before Game 3 Saturday night at Miami's American Airlines Arena.

Wade later explained his pregame routine was not complete when the opening notes of O Canada were sounded (for once, this is an anthem story that doesn't involve butchering it). The 34-year-old Heat guard doesn't line up until he makes his last shot, but with two anthems on the menu starting earlier than the usual, as CP's Lori Ewing reports, the routine was disrupted.

At least, that's Wade's story, and as he explained with this non-apology: "I'm not a disrespectful person. So if anybody thinks I'm being desrespectful to a country, they don't know who Dwyane Wade is."

Try telling that one to the members of Raptors Nation taking a moment away from worrying about the state of Jonas Valanciunas's ankle.

And over to you, MPP Mike Colle:

The NBA has a rule that requires "players, coaches and trainers are to stand and line up in a dignified posture ... during the playing of the American and/or Canadian national anthems," and it was enforced 20 years ago with a suspension. League spokesman Tim Frank said in a statement the league "will work with its players to make sure no pregame routines interfere with either anthem going forward."