Becoming a Hall-of-Famer is an accomplishment that few athletes ever achieve. Only the greatest make it, and only the best of the best get there on the first ballot. Longtime Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade became one of those privileged few in 2023 and for good reason.
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The three-time NBA champ, 13-time All-Star, and member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team is one of the best shooting guards to ever lace them up, but as a kid growing up in Chicago, he couldn’t openly express his desire to become the next Michael Jordan.
Wade had a difficult childhood. His parents split up when he was a baby, and he eventually went to live with his dad as his mom battled drug addiction. Gang activity was all around. Wade himself once said that he was “next in line to sell drugs, to join the gang,” but that the move to stay with his father saved his life.
Shannon Sharpe had Wade on his Club Shay Shay podcast last year, and he asked the Heat legend if the NBA was always at the front of his mind as a kid. “The NBA was only at the front,” Wade said, but because of his environment, that wasn’t a dream that he could say out loud. Instead, he said he wanted to be a police officer, despite being afraid of cops.
“Me telling my mom as a 5-, 6-, 7-year-old kid, ‘Hey mom, I wanna be the next Michael Jordan, I wanna go play for the Chicago Bulls,’ that’s not realistic in my community.” Wade thought by telling his mom he wanted to be a cop, he would have her support, since that was a more realistic career path.
Dwyane Wade overcame his circumstances to achieve greatness
Growing up in such a difficult situation is one of those make-or-break things. So many are unable to ever rise out of the circumstances that Wade dealt with as a kid, and they fall into a life of gangs, drugs, and crime because that’s all they’ve ever known. Sometimes, though, experiencing that life daily can give someone the push they need to pull themselves out of it.
Wade was able to do it, and looking back on his career, it’s easy to see why. He was one of the most determined and strong-willed players to ever play. He willed Marquette to the Final Four in 2003 by dropping a triple-double on number one overall seed Kentucky, then put the Heat on his back in 2006 to carry them past the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals for the first championship in franchise history.
Wade showed an innate ability to adapt to his circumstances, which helped him succeed in the next chapter of his career as he shared the limelight with LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Now that he’s retired from the league, he’s still adapting and thriving as an LGBTQ+ advocate, entrepreneur, and podcast host.
Wade’s career is a testament to determination and proof that even the most difficult circumstances can be overcome.
