'Defiant' Dwyane Wade Channels His Inner Toby Keith

Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat were unable to step up to the challenge in the fourth quarter while losing Game 1 of the NBA Finals, but the veteran guard says it's still too early to count his team out against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Considering we've only watched one game of a potential seven-game series, yours truly has to agree that it is indeed too early to count out the Heat.

A "defiant" D-Wade still took the time to explain exactly why the Heat can't be taken lightly quite yet, though, in a quick quote to Alan Hahn.

"I'm not that athletic, I'll tell you that, as I was in '06, but I still have something in me. I still have some left in me. One day it will happen; Father Time will knock on the door and tap me on the shoulder. But not right now."

It seems odd that Wade is talking about failing athleticism and Father Time considering he still seems pretty spry for a 30-year-old basketball player finishing up his ninth NBA season. Since the first leg of the seven-game series is taking place in Oklahoma City, however, yours truly believes he has a pretty good idea for where inspiration of the above quote came from: noted Thunder supporter and Oklahoma resident Toby Keith.

For proof, compare Wade's above quote to Keith's lyrics in the song "As Good As I Once Was" excerpted below (via the aptly-named Cowboy Lyrics):

I ain't as good as I once was
My how the years have flown
But there was a time, back in my prime
When I could really hold my own
But if you wanna fight tonight
Guess those boys don't look all that tough
I ain't as good as I once was
But I'm as good once as I ever was

Pretty similar, yes? The defense rests its case.

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