Dwyane Wade recently took to his Instagram to show off Atlanta Dream’s Naz Hillmon’s kicks. The former NBA legend has now become a massive WNBA fan over the past couple of years and couldn’t help but commend Hillmon when he saw her donning his Way of Wade shoes, despite owning a stake in their rival team, the Chicago Sky.
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Wade has become incredibly invested in the WNBA as of late. Especially after buying a 10% stake in his hometown Chicago Sky, a team that also lucked out in the 2024 Draft with star Angel Reese.
When asked why he’s become so into the WNBA in recent years, Wade referenced his daughter Kaavia as the biggest reason.
“The big part of that is that my son, Zaire, grew up and he had a dream of being in the NBA,” Wade said. “He had a dream of being like his favorite players. You understand the importance of role models and so, I want my daughter to have that same feeling.“
It’s certainly important for a child to grow up with a favorite team and players. Regardless of if Kaavia delves down the sports path, having role models is always a blessing growing up. Wade seems to believe that investing in the team will get his daughter more interested in the WNBA. Maybe his idea will prove correct.
But like Wade said, it’s important to have role models in the WNBA. And so far, Reese has proven herself to be just that.
“She’s owning it. She is owning who she is. She wants to be great and she wants to be a great teammate. And so, our conversations, when we do talk, it’s about that and giving her that confidence to continue to be that.” Wade said about Reese
The Hall of Famer sounds proud to be a part-owner of a team that rosters Reese, and he should be. In her rookie season, she averaged a double-double, posting 13 points and 13 rebounds per game. Additionally, she took over alongside Caitlin Clark as one of the faces of the league.
So, it’s a bit surprising to see Wade posting Instagram stories of his rival team. But Wade seemed to be doing it more for his own benefit rather than out of ignorance. After all, Naz was wearing the Li-Ning Way of Wade All City 13 ‘Stingray’ shoes. And of course, Wade is the ambassador for the brand.
Dwade on IG pic.twitter.com/kWBbzgwcXQ
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) May 8, 2025
Wade has made his love for the brand very clear on several occasions. In one such instance, he gushed about his partnership with Li-Ning.
“I’m definitely blessed. I was 30 when I signed the deal with Li-Ning, and wanted to be one of those rare athletes who had a deal that extended beyond their career. There’s not many: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson in basketball and Ken Griffey Jr. in baseball are a few names that come to mind. [The deal] meant a lot to me when I was on the court, and still does now that I’m off the court because it represents my life.”
Wade’s Way of Wade shoes with Li-Ning have been a hit ever since he signed with them. Originally, he tried releasing shoes with Jordan, but they had a mixed reception. But ever since he’s gone all into Li-Ning, his shoes have sold much better. In fact, some lines have sold out fairly quickly in recent years.
What do you think about Wade’s new shoes? And was he out of line to post a photo of a rival team?
