9:21 AM PST, 9/9/2008
Dwyane Wade was born in the South Side of Chicago, Illinois to Dwayne Sr. and Jolinda Wade. He cites one of his older sisters, Tragil, as the individual most responsible for his childhood upbringing for steering him in the proper direction.[1] His parents divorced and he lived with his father and stepmother in Robbins, Illinois during his childhood.[2] As a child growing up in the Chicago area Wade idolized former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan,[3][4] and has said he patterns his game after him.
Wade attended Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn.[1] He did not see a lot of playing time his sophomore year as his stepbrother, Demetris McDaniel, was the star of the team.[5] Wade grew four inches in the summer before his junior year and proceeded to average 20.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.[6] Wade then averaged 27.0 points and 11.0 rebounds his senior year, and led his team to a 24–5 record.[6] They advanced to the title game of the Class AA Eisenhower Sectional,[6] during the season he set school records for points (676) and steals (106) in a season.[6]
Wade was recruited by only three schools (Marquette University, Illinois State, and DePaul University) as a result of academic problems.[7][8]
[edit] College
Wade played college basketball for Marquette University in Milwaukee. In Wade's freshman year at Marquette he did not play because of academic problems.[9] When Wade became eligible his sophomore year (2001–2002) he led the Golden Eagles in scoring with 17.8 ppg, led the conference in steals at 2.47 per game and also contributed averages of 6.6 rebounds per game and 3.4 assists per game.[10] Marquette finished with a 26–7 record,[6] the school's best record since the 1993–94 season.[6] In 2002–03, Wade led Marquette in scoring again with 21.5 ppg,[10] and Marquette won the school's first and only Conference USA championship with a 27–6 record. Wade then led the Golden Eagles to the Final Four, the school's first appearance in the Final Four since winning the 1977 national championship. After the season Wade was named First Team All-America by the Associated Press, becoming the first Marquette player since 1978 to do so.[6]
One of Wade's more memorable collegiate moments came in the 2003 Midwest Regional Final in the NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis. Against heavily favored, top-ranked and top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats, Wade recorded a triple-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.[11] His triple double was just the third ever in NCAA Tournament history.[11] Wade's accomplishment helped lead Marquette over the Wildcats 83–69 and into the Final Four, and Wade was named MVP of the Midwest Regional. Marquette finished the season ranked #6 in the AP poll, the school's highest ranking since the 1976–77 season. Wade's strong play in the tournament caused his draft stock to increase significantly.[12] As a result, he elected to enter the 2003 NBA draft and forgo his senior year at Marquette.
On February 3, 2007, nearly three and a half years after his final collegiate game, Marquette retired Wade's jersey at halftime of their game against Providence. Although Marquette requires student-athletes to graduate prior to receiving jersey retirement honors, the University has made special exception for Wade based on his accomplishments since leaving Marquette.[13]
[edit] NBA career
[edit] 2003–04
Selected 5th overall in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat, Wade quickly emerged as a productive player on a relatively young Miami Heat team and averaged 16.2 points on 46.5% shooting to go along with averages of 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in his rookie season. Wade is one of only four Marquette University players to be drafted in the first round, and his draft selection is the highest in school history.[14][10] After a slow 5–15 start,[15] the Heat would gradually improve to finish 42–40 and make the playoffs.[16] He further distinguished himself with outstanding performances in the playoffs,[11] particularly against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals. In the end, however, Wade's successful rookie season was somewhat overshadowed by the hype surrounding fellow rookies Carmelo Anthony and, in particular, LeBron James. Wade did earn unanimous selection to the 2004 NBA All-Rookie Team,[11] and also finished third in rookie of the year voting (behind James and Anthony).[11] He was ranked in the top five among rookies in several major statistical categories, including second in field goal percentage, second in steals, third in scoring, fourth in assists, and fourth in minutes played.[11] In the playoffs Wade hit a game winning shot in Game 1 of the Heat's first round series against the New Orleans Hornets. The Heat won the series 4–3 and advanced to the second round to face the top-seeded and best record team in the NBA Indiana Pacers in a very entertaining series that almost pushed the 61 win Pacers to the edge, though Miami would eventually lose the series in six games. He became the fourth rookie since the shot clock era began to lead his team in scoring and assist average in the postseason.[11]
Wade with the ball versus the Milwaukee Bucks in 2005
[edit] 2004–05
Before the 2004–05 season Shaquille O'Neal was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Heat. Compared to the previous year, the Wade and O'Neal-led Heat improved by 17 games, from a 42–40 record in the 2003–04 season, to an Eastern Conference-best 59–23 record in the 2004–05 season.[16] He was selected as a reserve by the coaches around the league in the 2005 All-Star Game. He scored 14 points in 24 minutes of play.
Wade at the free throw lineIn the first round of the 2005 NBA Playoffs, Wade averaged 26.3 points, 8.8 assists, and 6.0 rebounds at 50% field-goal shooting,[11] as the Heat swept the New Jersey Nets.[17] Wade performed extremely well in the second round as well by averaging 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists,[11] as the Heat swept the Washington Wizards.[17] The Heat would go on to lose against the defending champion Detroit Pistons in 7 games during the Eastern Conference Finals. Wade scored 42 and 36 points in Games 2 and 3 respectively, despite playing with sinusitis, the flu,and a knee strain. He also suffered a strained rib muscle in Game 5 of the Conference Finals that kept him out of Game 6,[18] and limited him in Game 7. The Heat lost the series 4–3 after giving up a 3–2 lead,[19] and a lead in the final three minutes of Game 7.
[edit] 2005–06
In the 2005–06 season, Wade was elected to his second All-Star Game. In the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, Wade made the game winning put-back off of the Philadelphia 76ers' Allen Iverson's missed shot, to lead the East to a 122–120 victory over the West. He scored 20 points on 9/11 field goals in 30 minutes of play. [20] He finished the 2005–06 regular season averaging 27.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.95 steals per game.[10]
Against the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, Wade shook off a few injuries that scared Heat fans, including a severely bruised hip in Game 5.[21] Returning late in the half, Wade resurrected his team by scoring 15 of his 28 points while suffering from intense pain, leading the Heat to the much-needed 3–2 series lead. After this, Wade successfully led his team to the 2006 NBA Finals, despite suffering from flu-like symptoms in game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons.[22] He put up a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists in that game, including an 8-point flurry to close out the third quarter that put the game out of reach.[22]
[edit] 2006 NBA Finals
In his first trip to the NBA Finals, in which Miami faced off against the Dallas Mavericks, Wade had some especially memorable moments. His performance in games three, four, and five, in which he scored 42, 36, and 43 points,[23][24] respectively, helped bring the Heat back from a 0–2 deficit to lead the series at 3 games to 2. In Game 3 Wade tied his career playoff high with 42 points and grabbed a career high 13 rebounds.[25] 15 of his 42 points came in the fourth quarter, in which the Heat erased a 13 point deficit over the final 6:34 with a 22–7 run which included a go-ahead jumper by NBA veteran Gary Payton that sealed the win.[26] The Heat went on to win Game 6, taking the series 4–2, and Wade was presented with the Finals MVP trophy. He became the fifth youngest player in NBA history to capture NBA Finals MVP honors and recorded the third highest scoring average by a player in his first NBA Finals with 34.7 points per game.[11][27] His PER in the NBA finals was ranked by ESPN's John Hollinger as the greatest performance in NBA Finals history.[28]
[edit] 2006–07
In the 2006–07 season, Wade missed a total of 31 games due to injury. He was elected to his third straight All-Star Game and received All-NBA honors. He became the first guard to earn All-NBA honors after missing at least 31 games in a season since Pete Maravich of the New Orleans Jazz earned Second Team honors during the 1977–78 season.[11] Despite Wade's play, the Heat struggled early in the season with injuries and were 20–25 on February 1, 2007.[29] But with Shaquille O'Neal healthy and Pat Riley returning to the bench after undergoing hip and knee surgeries,[30] the Heat seemed poised to surge into the second half of the season.[31] However, during a game against the Houston Rockets on February 21, 2007, while attempting to steal the ball from Shane Battier, Wade dislocated his left shoulder and was assisted off the court in a wheelchair.[32] After the injury he was left with the decision to either rehabilitate the shoulder or undergo season-ending surgery.[33] Wade later announced that he would put off the surgery and rehabilitate his shoulder with the intention of rejoining the team in time for the playoffs.[34] After missing 23 games to recover from the injury, Wade returned to the active roster in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats. Sporting a black sleeve to help protect his dislocated left shoulder, Wade played 27 minutes and recorded 12 points and 8 assists, in a 111–103 overtime loss.[35] For the season, Wade averaged 27.4 points, 7.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game shooting 50% from the field, and finished the season as the NBA's leader in PER (Player rating).[36]
In the playoffs, Wade averaged 23.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game, as the Heat were swept in the first round by the Chicago Bulls.[37] Following the playoffs, Wade underwent a pair of successful surgeries to repair his dislocated left shoulder and left knee. The knee ailment, commonly called "jumper's knee," prevented Wade from joining USA Basketball in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament over the summer.[38]
[edit] 2007–08
After missing the Tournament of Americas Olympic Qualifiers over the summer, Miami's eight pre-season games and first seven regular season games to recover from off-season left knee and left shoulder surgeries, Wade made his first appearance of the 2007-08 season on November 14, 2007.[39] Battling pain in his left knee throughout the season,[40] Wade was elected to his fourth consecutive All-Star Game appearance.[41] However, with the Heat holding the worst record in the NBA and Wade still experiencing problems in his left knee, Heat coach Pat Riley announced Wade would miss the final 21 games of the season to undergo OssaTron treatment on his left knee.[42] Wade averaged 24.6 points, 6.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game for the season.[36]
[edit] United States national team
Medal record
Competitor for United States
Olympic Games
Gold 2008 Beijing Team competition
Bronze 2004 Athens Team competition
FIBA World Championship
Bronze 2006 Japan Team competition
Wade was a member of the 2004 US Olympics team with fellow NBA All-Stars LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. The team competed in the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, in which Wade averaged 19.3 points per game.[43] The team won a bronze medal, which disappointed many USA fans who had hoped for a return to the days of the original "Dream Team".[44][45]
Wade was named to the USA Men's Basketball National Team from 2006–2008. He was named co-captain of the 2006 team, along with James and Anthony.[46] In 2007, due to injury, Wade was unable to compete at the Tournament of Americas Olympic Qualifiers, where the United States compiled a 10–0 record and qualified for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.[47] He competed at the 2008 Olympics where the United States went unbeaten on their way to the gold medal, defeating 2006 World Champion Spain in the final. Wade tallied a game high 27 points and led the team in scoring throughout the tournament, as the United States lived up to their Redeem Team moniker and captured gold medal honors for the first time since 2000. [48]
[edit] Player profile
Wade plays the shooting guard position, but is also capable of playing point guard. On offense, he has established himself as one of the quickest and most difficult players to guard in the NBA.[49] Wade is able to get to the free throw line seemingly at will; he ranked first in free-throw attempts per 48 minutes in 2004–05 and again in the 2006–07 season. He has proven himself an unselfish player, averaging 6.4 assists per game throughout his career.[10] After winning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in 2006, Wade developed a reputation as one of the premier clutch players in the NBA.[50] David Thorpe, an athletic trainer who runs a training center for NBA players in the offseason, also cites Wade's developing post up game as one of his strengths.[51] "Watching Wade operate on the left block is literally like watching old footage of MJ (Michael Jordan)," comments Thorpe.[51] Thorpe goes on to say that Wade's best moves from the post are his turnaround jump shot,[51] double pivot,[51] and what Thorpe terms as a "freeze fake",[52] a pump fake Wade uses to get his opponent to jump, so that he can then drive around him to the basket.[52] The main weakness cited in Wade's ability is his lack of three-point range; he has averaged .261 on three-point field goal attempts for his career.[10] He is best known for his ability to convert difficult lay-ups, even after hard mid-air collisions with larger defenders.[49] As crowd pleasing as his high-flying style of basketball may be, some have expressed concerns over the dangers of playing in this manner,[49] as Wade has already hurt his knees and wrists after mid-air collisions with larger players.
[edit] Personal life
Wade is a devout Christian and chose the number 3 because it represents the Holy Trinity.[53][54] He tithes 10% of his salary to a church in Chicago.[4] Wade is married to his high school sweetheart Siohvaughn Funches who was his first and only serious girlfriend. Wade and his wife also have two sons: Zaire Blessing Dwyane Wade (February 4, 2002) and Zion Malachi Airamis Wade (May 29, 2007).[2][55] The pair were able to maintain their relationship despite Funches, who is a year older than Wade, leaving to enroll at Eastern Illinois University during Wade's senior year of high school.[2] In February 2002, the couple were married, and at the beginning of Wade's final year of college (Fall 2002), Funches transferred to Marquette.[2] In September 2007, it was rumored that Wade had split with Funches after five years of marriage.[56] On May 1, 2008, during an appearance on Inside the NBA, TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith asked Wade about his rumored involvement with Star Jones. Wade responded, stating, "We're good friends...that's all, just friends."[57]
In 2008, Wade purchased a church for his mother, a Baptist pastor in Chicago.[58] Wade's mother, Jolinda, is a former drug user but has since abandoned that lifestyle and devoted her life to spreading the word of God. She is currently the co-pastor at the Temple of Praise, a ministry conceived while she was still incarcerated.[58]
The Heat's 2005 NBA Playoff run and Wade's performances with Shaquille O'Neal hampered by injury, led to an explosion of media attention and rapid increase in Wade's popularity. During those playoffs, Wade's jersey became the top selling jersey in the league and remained so for nearly two years.[59] After the Heat's success and Wade's memorable performances during the 2006 NBA Playoffs, Wade was further elevated into the public's eye and appeared on several talk shows, including Late Show with David Letterman and Live with Regis and Kelly.[60]
Wade has been featured in a number of magazine articles and publications. In 2005, he was featured on People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People,[61] and in 2006 he was named the NBA's best dressed player by GQ Magazine.[62] In 2007, Esquire named him to their 4th annual Best Dressed Men in the World list for the second straight year.[63]
Wade has proven himself a popular endorser and has a number of endorsement deals with companies such as Gatorade, Lincoln, Staples, Sean John, T-Mobile, and Topps.[64] He has his own line of shoes with Converse named "The Wade" and a series of Sidekick phones known as the D-Wade Edition with T-Mobile.[65][66] His nicknames include D-Wade and Flash, which was given to him by Shaquille O'Neal who would sing, "He's the greatest in the Universe," in reference to the Queen song of the same name from the 1980 film Flash Gordon.[67][68]
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