“I Wanted to Align my Career With Dwyane Wade”: Paul George Reveals How Inspirational The Flash Was In PG-13’s Early Years

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame recently announced its class of 2023. A class that is loaded with some of the greatest talent the NBA has bore witness to. One of whom is none other than Miami Heat legend, Dwyane Wade.

Wade is widely considered one of the greatest shooting guards of all time and had a stellar 16-year career in the league. With three NBA Championships, a Finals MVP, and a plethora of All-Star, All-Defensive, and All-NBA selections to his name, there can be no denying he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

However, his contributions on the court aren’t the only things that make him a Hall of Famer. After all, The Flash has been an inspiration to many of the league’s modern superstars. Like Paul George, who recently revealed that he tried to align his career with Wade’s during his early years in the league.

Paul George wanted to be just like Dwyane Wade during his early years as an NBA superstar

It isn’t uncommon for players in today’s NBA to have someone they look up to. Several stars have found inspiration from some of the legends that played the game before them.

The same goes for Paul George. The LA Clippers superstar is one of the best in the league today. But, back in the day when he was an up-and-coming young talent, PG13  was looking for mentorship from some of the best the league had to offer. Enter Dwyane Wade.

George looked up to The Flash and appreciated the type of person he was, both on and off the court. In fact, he revealed on his podcast, Podcast P with Paul George, that D-Wade is a player he tried to emulate in his younger days. From his fashion sense to business acumen. PG wanted to be just like Dwyane.

“What I take away from D-Wade is the mentorship and the off-the-court superstar that he was. A lot of people don’t know man…D-Wade’s got his hands in a lot of sh**, and he’s such a down-to-earth, and such a humble dude. My early years in the league I wanted to align my career kind of the way D-Wade did. With his fashion, with off the court ventures. I looked at him as somebody who was just super successful in everything he did. And, he carried himself like a good businessman, well dressed, well spoken, just a likable figure. He’s one of my favorite people.”

Well, given all that he is accomplished, it’s no wonder that a bonafide superstar like George looks up to him. And, with where he’s going, D-Wade will be joined by figures with similar calibers.

D-Wade will be joined by Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, and Gregg Popovich in the Hall of Fame

Despite all that he has achieved, Dwyane Wade will not be entering the Hall of Fame alone. The Flash will be sharing the spotlight with four other men, all of whom have accomplished great things. Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, and Gregg Popovich are fine additions to the Hall of Fame.

At the end of the day, there can be no denying that each and every one of the aforementioned talents deserve this. And, once the ceremony is over, they will all be immortalized and enshrined in Springfield, Massachusets.