Photo Courtesy of Lynne Sladky / Associated Press
Dwyane Wade is one of the best shooting guards to play the game of basketball. He has an array of accolades on and off the court, and his latest accolades is one of his biggest. Wade was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend, in a class that included players such as Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol. It also included San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and Las Vegas Aces coach (and former New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars player) Becky Hammon.
Wade gave a touching speech that thanked several people such as former teammates, Allen Iverson, who presented Wade at the ceremony (and is the reason he wore the number three), his wife Gabrielle Union and his father Dwyane Wade Sr, who he welcomed onstage.
“Pops, I know your knees are a little sore, but will you join me on stage as we take our rightful step into basketball heaven?” Wade said.
His speech ended with the father and son hugging and celebrating the moment.
Wade accomplished many things in his career, and what better time than now to explore those accomplishments. With that said, here are three accolades of Dwyane Wade.
1.) He is a three-time NBA Champion
Dwyane Wade was the fifth pick of the 2003 NBA Draft. He was a member of a draft class that featured players such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. Each player had different paths at the start of their career, and out of all of them, Wade was the first to win a championship. Wade won his first championship in 2006, when he and the Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks 4-2. Shaquille O’Neal joined the Heat in 2004 after a trade between them and the Lakers, and he and Wade helped lead Miami to the franchise’s first championship two years later. Wade described the pairing as him being “Robin to Shaq’s Batman.”
Then, Wade went on to win two more championships, when two draftmates joined the Heat. James and Bosh came to Miami and formed “The Big Three,” which was the hot topic of the league when they first came together. Wade and the Heat won championships in 2012 and 2013. They beat the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs (who beat them the following year) to get them. Winning a championship is no easy task, as so many NBA greats (Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Elgin Baylor and others) did not win one in their career. Wade did it three times. That in itself is an accomplishment.
2.) He is a 13-time All-Star
Throughout his career, Wade was a participant in the NBA All-Star Game. Wade made his All-Star debut in 2005. He made the Eastern Conference team as a reserve that year. He was one of four first-time All-Stars that year. Then, he made the game every year from then to 2016. His last All-Star appearance was in 2019 when he and Nowitzki were named special additions. Both players were gearing up for retirement at that time. Wade had some special All-Star moments (including an All-Star MVP in 2010), and to be involved for consecutive years speaks volumes.
3.) He is part owner of the Utah Jazz and Chicago Sky
Wade had some post-career accomplishments as well. Two years after retiring, Wade decided to purchase an ownership stake in the Utah Jazz. He took this opportunity seriously.
“Unfortunately, people in my community don’t get this opportunity, and I do not take it lightly to have this opportunity. To make real change, this is where you have to be — at the top” Wade once said.
Wade added to his resume this year, when he invested in the WNBA’s Chicago Sky. Wade, a Chicago native, is the second former NBA player to invest in a team, as Earvin “Magic” Johnson became involved with the Los Angeles Sparks. The WNBA is starting to get recognition, and having a former player like Wade involved is a step in the right direction.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is one of the most prestigious honors in all of sports, and Wade is one of the most beloved players of his generation. He is the first Miami Heat player to enter the Hall of Fame, and he has left a mark on the game of basketball both on and off the court.
Wade had an illustrious NBA career, and as he gets into other ventures, he will continue to succeed.
