Dwyane Wade’s NBA journey was what dreams were made of. The Miami Heat legend accomplished it all during his 16 seasons in the league, including three rings and an eventual spot in the Hall of Fame. But Wade hasn’t forgotten the mean streets of Chicago where his basketball dreams were first born. In fact, he recently took to Instagram to share a glimpse of how those dreams were born.
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Wade’s upbringing was as tough as any other Chi-town kid’s. Both of his parents battled addictions that forced him to survive on his own. “Their addictions took them down a path that was solely for them,” he once told People Magazine, adding that he missed structure in his life due to their absence.
Fortunately, his older sister and basketball were there to keep him out of trouble from the dangers that any urban city can bring. Wade did whatever it took to be able to hoop at his home. Even if he had to build his own hoop.
The former Finals MVP nailed a milk crate to a telephone pole, which became a staple for anyone who couldn’t afford a proper hoop. This actually helped shooters become more efficient due to the unconventional shape of the crate.
This was what Wade pointed to in his latest Instagram story. He shared a look at a “crate hoop” and narrated, “This is how my brothers and I grew up hooping. Put a create up on anything and get to it.”
Wade on how his hoop dreams began pic.twitter.com/aFofQgSbW8
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) April 1, 2025
Wade’s difficult path toward NBA superstardom was something he covered in his biography and spoken about many times publicly. His story is both inspiring and melancholy. He at times still appears as if he’s trying to help that small boy who would inevitably become a hoop legend.
The symbol of the crate clearly means the world to Wade. It is a sharp reminder of the things he overcame to achieve his dream.
Like Dwyane Wade, Damian Lillard also learned to shoot with a milk crate
D-Wade’s crate story was not an individual one. Many ballers used that very same method, including fellow NBA superstar Damian Lillard.
Lillard began balling on a tree that was in his family’s yard. One of the branches was shaped like a hoop and since they didn’t have a court, that’s what he had to use. But when the tree got cut down, Dame then went the milk crate route.
“That’s what I had for a few years, just a milk crate. It got to the point where I was shooting so well on a milk crate that by the time I got on a real court, it was like heaven,” said Dame Time on his Starting 5 Newsletter interview from back in the day.
Now we know how Lillard made all those downtown threes during his epic run with the Blazers.
