Dwyane Wade issued an apology on Monday for using the phrase "World Trade" while answering a question about the upcoming NBA season.

"There's going to be times when we might lose one, two games in a row, maybe two games, three games in a row, you never know," Wade said Sunday before the annual charity basketball game he co-hosts with Alonzo Mourning.

"It's going to seem like the world is crashed down. You all are going to make it seem like the World Trade has just went down again. But it's not going to be nothing but a couple basketball games lost and we'll have to get back on track."

Wade issued an apology through the Heat.

"In an interview yesterday, I attempted to explain how some people may view the Miami Heat losing a few basketball games in a row during the upcoming season. It appears that my reference to the World Trade Center has been either inaccurately reported or taken completely out of context. I was simply trying to say that losing a few basketball games should not be compared to a real catastrophe.

"While it was certainly not my intention, I sincerely apologize to anyone who found my reference to the World Trade Center to be insensitive or offensive."