ATLANTA (AP) - Dwyane Wade has finally spoken up about his alleged romance with Star Jones: ''Star is an unbelievable woman. We have a great, great relationship. As friends.''

''We're friends, just like a lot of celebrities. We are friends,'' the pro basketball star said Thursday during a guest appearance on ''Inside the NBA,'' the jocular TNT show featuring Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson. ''Are y'all close friends?'' Smith asked. ''We're good friends,'' Wade responded.

''Are you the kind of friends that drink out of one cup with two straws?'' Smith persisted, referring to a much-discussed photo of Wade, 26, and Jones, the 46-year-old TV personality who recently filed for divorce, at a tennis match. ''Those kind of friends?'' ''We are friends. That's all,'' said Wade, who is married to his high school sweetheart and has two sons. ''Good friends?'' Barkley interjected. ''Naw, Chuck,'' Wade said with a smile.

Some hilarity ensued. Barkley broke through the commotion to say, ''I like Star. She's a cougar.'' ''What's a cougar?'' Smith asked, not so innocently, a perfect lob to Barkley. Sir Charles promptly slammed the ball home: ''Preying on a young Dwyane Wade.''

Representatives for Jones did not immediately return a call for comment Thursday night.

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