Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. (/dweɪn/ DWAYN[1] or /duˈwaɪeɪn/ doo-WY-ayn,[2] born January 17, 1982)[3] is an American former professional basketball player.[4] Wade spent the majority of his 16-year career playing for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and won three NBA championships, was a 13-time NBA All-Star, an 8-time member of the All-NBA Team, and a 3-time member of the All-Defensive Team. Wade is also Miami's all-time leader in points, games, assists, steals, shots made, and shots taken.[5] Wade is widely regarded as one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history.[6][7][8] Wade is currently the host of the American adaptation of The Cube.
"Dwyane" redirects here. For other people with a similar name, see Dwayne.Utah Jazz
Co-owner
January 17, 1982
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
Marquette (2000–2003)
2003: 1st round, 5th overall pick
2003–2019
3, 9
Miami Heat
23,165 (22.0 ppg)
4,933 (4.7 rpg)
5,701 (5.4 apg)
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, Wade 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 (2,386) and points per game (30.2), the latter stat earning him his sole NBA scoring title. Wade was selected as the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2010. With LeBron James and Chris Bosh, Wade helped guide Miami to four consecutive NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014, and won back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. Wade briefly left Miami to play for the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers throughout 2016–2018 before returning to Miami to finish his playing career and retire with the Heat in 2019. The Heat retired his #3 jersey in 2020. He purchased a minority ownership stake in the Utah Jazz in 2021. 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.[9] In 2023, Wade was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[10]
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.[11] 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. Wade described his early childhood in the South Side of Chicago as trying.[12]
When his parents divorced, JoLinda was given custody of the two children. JoLinda struggled with drug addiction and often committed crimes that sent her to prison. At eight years old, Tragil tricked her brother Dwyane into thinking they were going to the movies, 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.[13]
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.[14] Wade grew up idolizing Michael Jordan and modeled his game after him.[15] 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.[16]
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.[14] He grew four inches by the start of his junior year and emerged as the team leader, averaging 20.7 points and 7.6 rebounds.[17]
Wade's improvement continued into his senior year, when he averaged 27 points and 11 rebounds.[18] He led the Bulldogs to a 24–5 record and to a Class AA Eisenhower Sectional appearance. Wade set school records for points scored (676) and steals made (106).[19] He 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 disqualifyingly low ACT scores.[13]