Queen’s fingers crossed
Latifah pressing Wade to sign here
Jersey native/actress/rapper Queen Latifah gave it her best shot Tuesday at the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue to sway Miami superstar Dwyane Wade to sign with the Knicks or Nets this summer — perhaps in tandem with LeBron James.
Queen Latifah and Wade sat down with The Post’s Marc Berman at the NBA Store to promote the new basketball movie “Just Wright,” in which Wade has a bit role playing himself. Though Wade was given instructions not to discuss his free agency, the Queen was under no such restrictions to talk about his future — or King James’.
“I love for [Dwyane] to be not far from us,” Queen Latifah said, touching Wade’s shoulder. “They can all come this way. The kids from the south, midwest — come to the east and nestle into this New York City area. We definitely will get behind him.”
Queen Latifah, who won two state titles at Irvington (N.J.) High, said she is equal parts Knicks and Nets fan. Wade just chuckled during Queen Latifah’s rap.
“I’m going to put my energy right in this area and hopefully I can get them here,” Queen Latifah said. “That would make New York and New Jersey very, very, very sexy. I don’t know even know if we can handle both of them. I don’t know if we would even know how to act. I’d be courtside with Beyonce and Jigga [Jay-Z], chilling.”
Wade attended Tuesday night’s movie premiere at the Ziegfield Theatre. The film, first featured in The Rumble during production last August, debuts next weekend, and the Nets are the movie’s backdrop.
Queen Latifah says Wade and LeBron, judging from their commercials, could do a feature film. “They make the transition well,” Queen Latifah said. “Some athletes can’t act to save their lives. Stay on the court. [Wade and James] have a natural chemistry that comes across on screen.”
Wade saw the movie for the first time at the premiere.
“I thought it was excellent,” he said. “A lot of times certain basketball movies get portrayed a certain way. I thought it captured it in a good way. I identified with the characters, even the contract situation.”
Young Yanks giving back
Yankees Ramiro Pena and Francisco Cervelli visited the kids at Mount Sinai Hospital as part of Project Sunshine week. The players participated in a “Hollywood Squares” type game, had a Q&A session, signed autographs and took pictures with the kids.
Cervelli and Pena have visited many schools and hospitals throughout the New York area since being called up to the major leagues last year. Learn more at projectsunshine.org.
MSG’s “The Lineup: New York’s All-Time Best Baseball Players” decides the center-field position — Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio and Duke Snider — Tuesday night at 10:30.
Hizzoner’s daughter in saddle
Mayor Bloomberg’s daughter, Georgina, who has a real shot to make the U.S. Olympic equestrian team in 2012, will compete in the Old Salem Farm Horse Show, beginning Tuesday through May 23 at Old Salem Farm in North Salem (Westchester).
The mayor is expected to cheer on his 27-year-old daughter next Sunday as she rides in the $40,000 Old Salem Farm Grand Prix. A portion of ticket sales will benefit the Greater New York City affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Pegasus Therapeutic Riding of Brewster. Tickets are available at the gate. For information, visit oldsalemfarm.net or call (914) 669-5610.
Trading frenzy
On Thursday, Rangers forward Sean Avery hit the trading floor Thursday at the eighth-annual BTIG Commissions for Charity Day.
Avery, the co-owner of Warren 77, manned the phones, convincing clients to buy MSG stock while raising money for the Garden of Dreams Foundation. Other celebrities trading included Michael J. Fox, John McEnroe, Joe Girardi and Nick Swisher.
BTIG, an institutional brokerage and fund services company, reports it raised more than $4 million to distribute to a variety of children’s charities in this year’s event.
Meet the microphone
SNY is bringing back its popular “Kidcaster” contest. Children ages of 7-15 are asked to submit an essay of 100 words or less about they would show Mr. Met (and why) if they could bring him to school for a day.
Ten finalists will be chosen to read their essays in front of a panel of judges at SNY’s Manhattan studios.
The winner will join Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling in the booth during a live Mets game. The runner-up will appear in an episode of SNY’s Emmy Award winning “Kids Clubhouse.”
The entry deadline is Saturday. For more information, visit SNY.tv/kidcaster.
Augusta, 2011
A package for golf fans to attend the 2011 Masters will be auctioned at Page Morton Black’s Parkinson’s Disease Foundation’s Bal du Printemps Wednesday at the Pierre. It includes two all-day Masters badges for the final rounds April 9 and 10, hotel accommodations for three nights and two golf folding chairs.
Free ride to tennis, anyone?
The World Team Tennis season is short — seven dates in July at Randall’s Island for the New York Sportimes — but captain John McEnroe is doing all he can to fill the 2,000-seat facility. The team will offer free shuttle bus service from the East Side of Manhattan and even pay your E-ZPass on some dates if you drive across the Triboro. It is also holding a bunch of special promotions, including Brooklyn-Queens night on July 14, when Queens native McEnroe takes on Andy Roddick and the Philadelphia Freedom. Why Brooklyn? Roddick’s squeeze is swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker, so if you show up in a swimsuit of any kind, you get 40 percent off a ticket. For the full sked go to http://www.nysportimes.com.
The court at Arthur Ashe Stadium recently has been replaced for just the second time since the facility opened in 1997. The ripped-up old court will be sold as memorabilia on USTA.com and at the 2010 U.S. Open.