Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. is an American basketball executive and former professional player who is currently co-owner of the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association. He is also currently the host of the American adaptation of The Cube. Widely regarded as one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history, he spent the majority of his 16-year career playing for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association and won three NBA championships, was a 13-time NBA All-Star, an eight-time member of the All-NBA Team, and a three-time member of the All-Defensive Team. Wade is also Miami's all-time leader in points, games played, assists, steals, shots made, and shots taken.
After a successful college basketball career with the Marquette Golden Eagles, including leading the team to the Final Four in 2003, Wade was drafted fifth overall in the 2003 NBA draft by the Heat. In his third season, Wade led the Heat to their first NBA Championship and was named the 2006 NBA Finals MVP. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, he led the United States men's basketball team, commonly known as the "Redeem Team", in scoring and helped them capture the gold medal. In the 2008–09 season, Wade led the league in both total points and points per game, the latter stat earning him his lone NBA scoring title. Wade was selected as the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2010. With LeBron James and Chris Bosh, he helped guide Miami to four consecutive NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014, and won back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. In July 2016, Wade briefly left Miami to play for the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers for a season and a half before being traded back to Miami in February 2018 where he finished his playing career and retired in 2019. The Heat retired Wade's #3 jersey in 2020. He purchased a minority ownership stake in the Utah Jazz in 2021 and became a minority stakeholder of the WNBA's Chicago Sky in 2023. In October 2021, Wade was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice: in 2023 for his individual career, and in 2025 as a member of the Redeem Team.
Early life
Wade was born the second of two children to JoLinda and Dwyane Wade Sr. in Chicago, Illinois, on January 17, 1982. Wade attributes the uncommon spelling of his and his father's first name to his grandmother. JoLinda already had two children when she married Wade's father, and with him she had Dwyane and his older sister Tragil. The pair separated when Wade was four months old. He described his early childhood in the South Side of Chicago as "trying."When his parents got divorced, JoLinda was given custody of Wade and his sister. JoLinda struggled with drug addiction and often committed crimes that sent her to prison. At eight years old, Tragil tricked Dwyane into thinking they were going to the movie theater, only to take him to live with his father and stepmother. Wade visited his mother on occasion until his father moved the family to Robbins, Illinois, after which Wade would not see her for two years.
Wade turned to basketball and football, avoiding the temptations of drugs and gangs. Wade credited Tragil as the person most responsible for pointing him in the right direction. Wade grew up idolizing Michael Jordan and modeled his game after him. On October 14, 2001, as Wade's basketball career blossomed, JoLinda vowed to turn her life around. She says that she has not used drugs since 2003.
High school career
Wade played basketball and football for Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn. He immediately excelled as a wide receiver and also played as a backup quarterback, but success in basketball took longer. Wade grew four inches by the start of his junior year and emerged as the team leader, averaging 20.7 points and 7.6 rebounds.Wade's improvement continued into his senior year, when he averaged 27 points and 11 rebounds. Wade led the Bulldogs to a 24–5 record and to a Class AA Eisenhower Sectional appearance. He set school records for points scored and steals made. Wade credited coach Jack Fitzgerald as a seminal and positive influence. Wade was recruited to play basketball only by Marquette, Illinois State, and DePaul due to low ACT scores.
College career
Wade committed to Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to play under coach Tom Crean. In his freshman year, Wade was sidelined by NCAA Proposition 48, which set academic eligibility requirements for participation in Division I sports. Effort and tutoring sufficiently raised his academic standing so that Wade became eligible by the start of his sophomore year. Wade chose to wear the jersey number 3, due to the Holy Trinity, and as a tribute to Allen Iverson, who Wade described as a hero of culture. He would continue to wear this jersey while on the Heat.2001–02 season
Wade led the Marquette Golden Eagles in scoring with 17.8 points and led Conference USA in both steals per game with 2.47 and two-point field goals made with 205; he averaged 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Marquette finished with a 26–7 record, their best since the 1993–94 season.2002–03 season
Wade again led the school in scoring with 21.5 points and the Golden Eagles finished with a 27–6 record. Three days after JoLinda was released from prison, she saw Wade play basketball for the first time in five years as Marquette upset the Cincinnati Bearcats, 70–61, to capture the Conference USA title on March 8, 2003. He helped bring the Golden Eagles to the Final Four for the first time since their 1977 national championship season. Wade was subsequently named to the All-America First Team by the Associated Press, making him the first basketball player from Marquette to receive the distinction since 1978.Wade's performance during the Midwest Regional final drew national attention. Against a top-seeded Kentucky team, he delivered 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, including a memorable breakaway dunk, as Marquette upset the Wildcats, 83–69, and advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 1977. Wade's triple double was the fourth ever recorded in NCAA tournament history. The Golden Eagles finished their season as No. 6 in the AP Poll, Marquette's highest ranking since 1976–77. Wade was named the MVP of the Midwest Regional. His performance earned him a high NBA draft projection. As a result, Wade skipped his senior year to enter the 2003 NBA draft.
Marquette retired Wade's No. 3 jersey on February 3, 2007. It ordinarily requires student-athletes to have graduated for jersey retirement, but made an exception for Wade.
Professional career
Miami Heat (2003–2016)
Rookie year (2003–04)
Selected fifth in the 2003 NBA draft by the Miami Heat, Wade became the highest ranked of only four Marquette first round draft picks. He quickly emerged as a productive player, averaging 16.2 points on 46.5% shooting as well as 4.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists. After a 5–15 start, the Heat gradually improved to finish 42–40 and qualify for the playoffs. Wade served up outstanding postseason performances, particularly against the Indiana Pacers during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Wade earned a unanimous selection to the 2004 NBA All-Rookie Team and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. He placed among the top five rookies in several statistical categories, including second in field goal percentage, second in steals, third in scoring, fourth in assists, and fourth in minutes played.In the first playoff game, Wade hit a running jumper with 1.3 seconds left in the final quarter to give the Heat an 81–79 victory over the New Orleans Hornets. Winning that series 4–3, the Heat faced the Pacers, who were the top-seeded team with the best record in the NBA. The Heat lost the series 4–2. Wade became only the fourth rookie in the shot clock era to lead his team in points and assists during the postseason.
Breakthrough year (2004–05)
The Heat traded with the Los Angeles Lakers for center Shaquille O'Neal. Improving on their previous season's 42–40 record by 17 games, Miami went 59–23, leading the Eastern Conference. Wade earned a reserve slot in the season's All-Star Game; adding 14 points in 24 minutes of play.In the first round of the 2005 playoffs, Wade averaged 26.3 points, 8.8 assists, and 6 rebounds a night while maintaining a 50% field-goal percentage as the Heat swept the New Jersey Nets. In the second round, he averaged 31 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists per game as the Heat swept the Washington Wizards. The Heat lost the Eastern Conference Finals 4–3 to the Detroit Pistons, the previous season's champions. Wade scored 42 points in Game 2 and 36 points in Game 3 despite playing with sinusitis, the flu, and a knee strain. He suffered a strained rib muscle in Game 5 that prevented him from playing in the sixth game and limited him in the seventh.
NBA champion and Finals MVP (2005–06)
In the 2005–06 season, Wade was elected to the All-Star Game as a starter. During 30 minutes of play, he put up 20 points on 9-of-11 field goals. Wade finished the regular season averaging 27.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.95 steals.In the first round of the 2006 playoffs, Miami played the Chicago Bulls. Wade incurred several injuries, including a severely bruised hip during Game 5. He scored 15 of his 28 points while suffering intense pain, to give the Heat a 3–2 series lead. Wade led the Heat past the Detroit Pistons despite experiencing flu-like symptoms in Game 6. In the series-clinching contest, he landed 14 points and 10 assists.
During the 2006 NBA Finals, Miami faced the Dallas Mavericks. Wade's 42, 36, and 43 points in Games 3, 4, and 5, respectively, helped the Heat go from a 0–2 deficit to a 3–2 series lead. In Game 3, Wade's 42 points tied his playoff-high and his 13 rebounds were a career-high. The Heat took Game 6 behind Wade's 36 points, taking the series 4–2, earning Wade the Finals MVP trophy. He became the fifth-youngest player in NBA history to capture the Finals MVP award, and his 34.7 points were the Finals' third-highest among players in their first NBA Finals. His 33.8 player efficiency rating over the NBA Finals was ranked by John Hollinger of ESPN as the best since the NBA-ABA merger.