(Photo/Xinhua)

NBA star Dwyane Wade, also known as “D-Wade” or “Flash,” may have been the victim of a scam by fake Buddhist monks during his ongoing China tour, which took him to Shaolin Temple on July 19.

Amid widespread media coverage, Shaolin Temple said on July 20 that the people posing as Buddhist monks during Wade’s trip were not actually from Shaolin Temple.

“The two people dressed to look like monks--one of whom was not even properly outfitted--are not monks at Shaolin Temple. It is unclear whether they are actually fake monks,” read a statement from the temple.

The two men, one sporting a goatee and a somewhat inaccurate monk's outfit, were seen in many photos standing next to the 34-year-old Chicago Bull star during his visit to the temple. Wade and his wife burned incense and prayed alongside the men.

Media coverage gave no information about the pair. Shaolin Temple denied its involvement in organizing the trip, saying that the visit was not an official one, thepaper.cn reported.

“There are often people who pretend to be monks at Shaolin Temple in order to fool tourists. Now they have caused a misunderstanding among netizens and negatively impacted the reputation of Shaolin Temple,” the statement said, adding that the temple retains its right to take legal action in the case.

The 2016 Wade China Tour kicked off in Shanghai on July 17 and included a stop in Zhengzhou, home to Shaolin Temple, on July 19. The entourage also visited Shijiazhuang on July 20 and will be in Beijing from July 21 to 25. 

(File photo)