“My One Game in High School”: Dwyane Wade Mistakenly Believed Li Ning’s Birthday Gift Had Hidden Meaning

Dwyane Wade has been retired from the NBA for five years, but the Miami Heat legend is a popular figure today. The 13-time All-Star recently received a birthday gift from Chinese sportswear brand, Li-Ning, who produced the former guard’s “Way of Wade” sneaker line. Wade noticed the box from Li-Ning waiting for him when he arrived home from playing a round of golf.

Wade explained how when he opened the box and saw a shoe inside, he didn’t think much of it at first. After pulling the shoe out, the Flash realized how special of a gift it truly was, as the sneaker had his initials and the number 43 on it. The three-time champion said that when he saw the number on the shoe, his mind immediately drifted back to sports, not to the fact he was turning 43 years old. The 16-year veteran thought the company had sifted through his basketball career to make the gift extra special. During an episode of his show, Wade said,

“I hit Li-Ning, I hit the company. I’m like, ‘Yo, how y’all know about my one game in high school where I wore 43?'”

But it turns out the Hall of Famer was overthinking the gift, as the sportswear company had no idea what Wade was referring to. Li-Ning was incredibly confused by the question. Wade continued,

“They were like, ‘What, bro? That’s your birthday shoe, you’re turning 43 this year.'”

Wade believed the company had gone the extra mile to find out information about his high school career, and he completely overlooked what age he was turning.

Dwyane Wade doesn’t focus on his age

When Wade received his gift, he flashed back to a high school game when he forgot his jersey and had to suit up in number 43. His age wasn’t on his mine, as he explained,

“I’m not thinking nothing about me turning 43 at this point. Cause you start losing your age as you get older.”

Wade said he often thinks he’s younger than he actually is and explained how, as he continues to get older, the age he turns matters less and less.

While the shoes didn’t have the hidden meaning Wade expected, the 16-year veteran did appreciate Li-Ning’s birthday gift.