Dwyane Wade
From Hoopedia
| Dwyane Wade | ||
|---|---|---|
 Wade playing for the Heat. | ||
| Miami Heat - No. 3 | ||
| Shooting guard / Point guard | ||
| Personal information | ||
| Born: January 17, 1982 Chicago Illinois | ||
| Height: 6 ft 4 in | Weight: 220 lbs | |
| Debut | ||
| October 28, 2003 for the Miami Heat | ||
| Career information | ||
| College: Marquette | ||
| NBA Draft: 2003; Round: 1 / Pick: 5th Selected by the Miami Heat | ||
| Teams | ||
| ||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
| Dwyane Wade at NBA.com | ||
Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. (born January 17, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American professional basketball Shooting guard in the NBA for the Miami Heat. His nicknames include "Flash" and "D-Wade". Wade was named 2006 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. Despite the unorthodox spelling, Wade's first name is pronounced as "Dwayne"; often in print media, it is misspelled as such. Wade has established himself one of the more well-known and popular players in the league. He had the top selling jersey in the NBA for nearly two years, as he led the NBA in jersey sales from the 2005 NBA playoffs, until the mid point of the 2006-07 NBA season.
After entering the league with little fanfare as the fifth pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Wade has become one of the more accomplished great young players in the NBA today. After making the All-Rookie team in his first season, and the All-Star team the following three seasons, he led his team to an NBA Championship at the conclusion of his third pro campaign. Wade was named 2006 NBA Finals MVP as he led the Heat to a 4-2 series win over the Dallas Mavericks with the greatest Finals perormance ever.
Contents |
Early Life
Dwyane Wade was born on the south side of Chicago to Dwyane Sr. and Jolinda Wade. He cites one of his older sisters, Tragil, as the individual most responsible for his childhood upbringing and for steering him in the proper direction. His parents divorced and he lived with his father and stepmother in Robbins, Illinois during his childhood. As a child growing up in the Chicago area Wade idolized former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan and has said he patterns his game after him.
Wade attended H. L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn, Illinois. He did not see a lot of playing time his sophomore year as his stepbrother, Demetris McDaniel, was the star of the team. Wade grew four inches in the summer before his junior year and proceeded to average 20.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Wade then averaged 27 points and 11 rebounds his senior year, and led his team to a 24–5 record. They advanced to the title game of the Class AA Eisenhower Sectional during the season he set school records for points (676) and steals (106) in a season.
Wade was recruited by only three schools — Marquette, Illinois State and DePaul.
College Years
Wade started all 65 games in his college career with the Marquette Golden Eagles in which he appeared and averaged 19.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.31 steals while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent from three-point range and 74.5 percent from the foul line. He finished his career ranked 20th on Marquette’s all-time scoring list with 1,281 points and ranked ninth on both the school’s all-time steals list (150) and all-time blocks list (79). He was the first Marquette player since 1978 to be named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press. He earned a spot on the Wooden Award All-America team and was one of five finalists for the Wooden Award after helping lead the Golden Eagles to the 2003 Final Four, the school’s first appearance since 1977. In addition to garnering consensus First Team All-America honors, he was named the Conference USA Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All Conference USA during the 2002-03 season. As a junior in 2002-03 he led Conference USA and ranked 22nd nationally in scoring (21.5 ppg) and set a Marquette single-season scoring record with 710 points. He ranked second in the league in steals (2.15 spg), eighth in assists (4.4 apg), 10th in field goal percentage (.501) and 11th in free throw percentage (.779). He also averaged 6.3 rebounds, 1.30 blocks and 32.1 minutes while leading the Golden Eagles to a 27-6 record…capped an outstanding junior year by being named the Most Valuable Player of the Midwest Regional Final compiling 51 points, 15 assists and 14 rebounds in victories overgene Pittsburgh and Kentucky. In the victory over Kentucky, which vaulted the Golden Eagles into the Final Four and ended the Wildcats’ 26-game winning streak, he registered Marquette’s first triple-double since 1994 when he totaled 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in an 83-69 victory. His triple-double versus Kentucky was just the third in NCAA Tournament history.
NBA
2003–2004
Wade was selected in the first round (5th pick overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat. Wade quickly emerged as a productive player on a youthful Miami Heat team and averaged 16.2 points on 46.5% shooting with averages of 4.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Wade is one of only four Marquette University players to be drafted in the first round; his is the highest draft selection in school history. After a 5–15 start, the Heat would gradually improve and finish 42–40 to qualify for the NBA playoffs. He further distinguished himself with outstanding performances in the playoffs, 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 success of fellow rookies Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, particularly the latter. Wade did earn unanimous selection to the 2004 NBA All-Rookie Team, and also finished third in rookie of the year voting (behind James and Anthony). 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. 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.
2004–2005
Before the 2004–05 season Shaquille O'Neal was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Heat. The following season, Miami 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. The league's coaches selected Wade to be a reserve in the 2005 All-Star Game. He scored 14 points in 24 minutes of play.
In the first round of the 2005 NBA Playoffs, Wade averaged 26.3 points, 8.8 assists, and 6.0 rebounds while maintaining a 50% field-goal percentage as the Heat swept the New Jersey Nets. Wade continued his high level of play in the second round by averaging 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists per game as the Heat swept the Washington Wizards. The Heat's playoff run was stopped by the Detroit Pistons, the previous season's champions, in 7 games in 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 prevented him from playing in the series' sixth game and limited him in the seventh. The Heat lost the series in the seventh game despite leading three games to two after the fifth game and holding a lead with three minutes remaining in Game 7.
2005–2006
By the 2005–06 season Wade had developed into one of the most prominent players in the NBA and 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. He finished the 2005–06 regular season averaging 27.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.95 steals per game.
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. 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. 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.
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, 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. 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. The Heat went on to win Game 6 behind Wade's 36 points, 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. His 33.8 PER in the NBA finals was ranked by ESPN's John Hollinger as the greatest Finals performance since the NBA-ABA merger.
2006–2007
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 Utah Jazz earned Second Team honors during the 1977–78 season. Despite Wade's play, the Heat struggled early in the season with injuries and were 20–25 on February 1, 2007. But with Shaquille O'Neal healthy and Pat Riley returning to the bench after undergoing hip and knee surgeries, the Heat seemed poised to surge into the second half of the season. 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. After the injury he was left with the decision to either rehabilitate the shoulder or undergo season-ending surgery. 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. 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. 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).
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. 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.
2007–2008
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. Battling pain in his left knee throughout the season, Wade was elected to his fourth consecutive All-Star Game appearance. 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. Wade averaged 24.6 points, 6.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game for the season.
2008–2009
After undergoing months of rehabilitation on his left knee and helping the U.S. Olympic team win a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics, in which he led the team in scoring, Wade returned to the starting lineup at the start of the 2008–09 season. Early in the season, Wade became the second player in NBA history to tally at least 40 points, 10 assists and five blocked shots in a game since Alvan Adams did so in the 1976–77 season. With a healthy Wade leading the league in scoring and the Heat making a push for a playoff position, Wade was elected to his fifth consecutive All-Star game appearance.
Following the All-Star game, Wade recorded 50 points on 56.6% shooting and added 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a blow-out loss against the Orlando Magic. Wade became the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 50 points while his team lost by at least 20 in a game. The following game, Wade recorded a career-high 16 assists and added 31 points and 7 rebounds in a 103–91 win against the Detroit Pistons. Wade became the second player to record 15 or more assists after scoring at least 50 points since Wilt Chamberlain did so in 1968. Two games later, Wade tied a franchise record with 24 points in the fourth quarter, as he led the Heat back from a 15 point deficit in the final nine minutes of the quarter to secure a 120–115 win over the New York Knicks. For the game, Wade recorded 46 points on 55% field goal shooting, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Wade followed the performance with a second-consecutive 40-point game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Playing against his Eastern Conference rival and good friend, LeBron James, Wade registered 41 points on 53% shooting, 9 assists, 7 steals, 7 rebounds and one block as the Heat lost 107–100. The following game, in former teammate Shaquille O'Neal's return to Miami since being traded, Wade tied a career-high with 16 assists and added 35 points on 62% shooting, 6 rebounds, a steal and a block, as the Heat defeated the Phoenix Suns 135–129. Wade became the only player in Heat history to have multiple games with at least 30 points and 15 assists. Less than a week later, Wade tied his franchise record with his 78th consecutive game of scoring in double figures in a double overtime thriller against the Chicago Bulls, in which he scored the game-winning three-point basket to secure a 130–127 win. Wade finished with 48 points on 71.4% shooting, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks in 50 minutes. Wade joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only other player in NBA history to score that many points and have that many assists in a game, while having as high of a field goal percentage. Two games later, Wade surpassed Alonzo Mourning and became the Heat's all-time leading scorer in a triple overtime classic against the Utah Jazz. Wade finished with 50 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks in a 140–129 win.
During the season, Wade became the first player in NBA history to accumulate at least 2,000 points, 500 assists, 100 steals, and 100 blocks in a season and is the first player of 6 ft. 5 in. or shorter to register at least 100 blocks in a season. Wade also became just the fifth player in NBA History to reach 2,000 points, 500 assists, and 150 steals in a season. After a 97–92 win against the Charlotte Bobcats, Wade helped the Heat clinch a playoff berth and become only the second team in NBA History to reach the postseason after winning 15 or fewer games the year before. In a 122–105 win against the New York Knicks, Wade recorded a career high 55 points on 63% field goal shooting and added 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Wade recorded 50 points through three quarters and was pulled out of the game while he was one point shy of eclipsing the franchise record of 56 points set by Glen Rice. For the season, Wade averaged a league high 30.2 points per game, earning his first NBA Scoring Title, and added 7.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.
2009–2010
In only his third game of the season Wade recorded his 10,000th career point in a 95–87 win against the Chicago Bulls. On the 12th November 2009 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Wade made a spectacular dunk over Anderson Varejao, considered by many to be one of the greatest of the season until that point. LeBron James himself described the dunk as "great, probably top 10 all-time". Two days later against the New Jersey Nets, with the Heat down by two in the final seconds, Wade hit a clutch three-point shot, giving the Heat the win.
2010–2011
On July 7, it was announced that Wade would be re-signing with the Miami Heat, along with former Toronto Raptor, Chris Bosh. Wade, Bosh and James signed their contracts on July 9. James,Bosh,and Wade held a ceremony after promising they would win multiple championships in their time together.Wade many people feel is the best player ever.
Interviewer: Who do you think will be the face of the NBA 15 years from now?
Dwyane: Well, I was at this basketball camp located in Augusta,Georgia, and I saw this one player who stood out to me. He was very quiet off the court, but on the court, he was phenomenal. He could shoot, dribble, pass, play defense,he could do everything.
Interviewer: Do you know what his name was?
Dwyane:I think his name was Michael. Michael McWell. But yeah the kid is special. Very special.
Interviewer:Okay, Dwyane We'll catch up with you later.Thank you for your time.
Dwyane:Alright.Thanks.
June 27, 2010
