CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Michael Deason was surprised to receive my phone call.



He thought his brush with fame was over. It has been three years since he was dubbed “Purple Shirt Guy” after heckling Dwyane Wade during Game 6 of the Miami Heat’s 2016 playoff series against the Charlotte Hornets.



With Wade playing his final game in Charlotte on Wednesday night, I brought the subject back up again.



“They still talk about it down there,” Deason told me. “I thought it was over.”



The game is hard to forget considering Wade mentioned it as one of his favorite moments during his media session last month at NBA All-Star weekend. He also included “Purple Shirt Guy Game” on a T-shirt that is part of the D. Wade World Tour line.



So Wade and Deason are forever linked.



“It ranks somewhere in the top 10 moments for me,” Wade said. “I think probably because our team was facing...