NBA players get thrust into the millionaires club the second they sign a contract in the league. Upon doing so, they don’t exactly know how to cope with having that much money in their bank account, especially if they come from a less financially secure background than usual. This was the case for Dwyane Wade.
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After establishing himself as a top guard prospect at Marquette, Wade declared for the 2003 NBA Draft. After doing so, he went 5th overall to Pat Riley’s Miami Heat. His first contract in the NBA as a top 5 pick in the lottery was one that paid him $2.636 million in his rookie season, before tax.
His initial planning for his finances was that he would save a whole million dollars from that 2.6 and spend the rest. Unfortunately, this didn’t go as planned as he splurged every chance he got, blowing all of that money away.
Also read: Dwyane Wade Motivated Joakim Noah to Not Quit Basketball With a Small Gesture Despite the Rivalry
Dwyane Wade spent a whopping $70,000 on a custom car his rookie year
The first thing Dwyane Wade bought upon receiving $2.6 million was a $70,000 car. He had always been fascinated by Escalades and so when he received his first paycheck, he knew he had to get himself one.
While on Men’s Health, he would go on to discuss his worst and best ever purchases. It’s unclear if he considers this to be in either one of those categories but he went on to buy a Cadillac Escalade EXT for around $70,000. It had everything from 403 HP to 26-inch custom rims.
This purchase certainly served its purpose in the short term as he could show off his tricked out car while on the streets of Miami. It didn’t however, prepare him for the long run when it comes to having financial freedom post retirement.
How has Dwyane Wade helped himself become financially free?
Perhaps the biggest investment of Wade’s life came when he bought minority stake in the Utah Jazz. He’s one of only 3 players in NBA history to own stake in an NBA team (Michael Jordan with the Hornets and Grant Hill with the Hawks).
He’s also signed to Li-Ning and is their signature athlete for basketball, having had 10 shoes released under his own line. He’s reportedly accumulated a net worth of $170 million according to Wealthy Gorilla as of 2022.
