NBA will ensure Heat pregame routine doesn't interfere with anthems again

A day after the fact, Dwyane Wade should've been fielding questions about his throwback, 38-point performance in Game 3 against the Toronto Raptors. Instead, he was forced to answer for a pregame snafu in which he was seen shooting jumpers rather than lining up during the singing of the Canadian national anthem.

It sparked some outrage among Raptors fans (and Canadian hoops fans in general), with the indignation reaching as far as the Ontario provincial government.

Wade insisted Sunday that he intended no disrespect, and is not a disrespectful person. He said he was simply thrown off by the unusual timing of the anthem, which cut his pregame shooting routine short.

In any event, the NBA office says it reached out to the Heat, and will work with the team and its players to prevent such a conflict from arising again.

"We spoke to the team, and the Heat will work with its players to make sure no pregame routines interfere with either anthem going forward," the league said.

Game 4 goes in Miami on Monday night.