NBA superstar, Dwyane Wade has announced that his 16th NBA season will be his last.
This past Saturday, Dwyane Wade announced via his Instagram page that the 2018-19 season will be his last in the NBA. The Instagram post led to a link with a YouTube video of Wade starting his own going-away party. In the intimate, raw video, Wade stands alone reflecting on his beginning as a player and where he is today.
This means that Dwyane Wade will play his final season for the Miami Heat, which he has desired all along. The Chicago native was drafted by the Heat in 2003.
Wade was the fifth pick in the ‘03 draft. LeBron James went first, and is still showing incredible bounce. Darko Milicic and Chris Bosh are no longer in the league, but third pick, Carmelo Anthony has not shown signs of nearing retirement. A couple of other 2003 draft selections and NBA Champions, David West and Boris Diaw announced their retirement this Summer.
It is great for D-Wade fans to get a full season’s worth of opportunity to see him in action. A heads-up to his final season means that many will get a chance to see one of the greats do his thing in person before it’s too late.
The LeBron James era in Miami produced plenty of wins and plenty of highlights. The most impressive performance of Wade’s career though occurred in the 2005-06 NBA Finals. Even though it was his third year in the league, Wade averaged 35/8/4, overshadowing even his teammate Shaquille O’Neil. He was a force in that series, defeating Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks.
Wade is a NBA Scoring Champ (‘08-’09), 3x NBA Champion, 12x All-Star (All-Star MVP in 2010), 3x All-Defense selection, 8x All-NBA, and Finals MVP (‘05-’06). Wade is considered by many to be the third best shooting guard of all-time behind Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
One last dance
The video that Dwyane Wade posted to announce his final season was a great way to go about things. He is candid about his feelings towards the game and his journey. He speaks of loss, family, and priorities.
Athletes, especially at the professional level, are often just seen as that - athletes. In the clip, Wade talks about the grind of improving, the toll of the game, and the upbringing that no one else sees. Check out the video below to see a top athlete get vulnerable and allow us to see his side of the story.
As many of the current great player’s careers wind down (Wade, Nowitzki, Vince Carter), remember to take the time to enjoy getting to see them in action and also reflect back on what they have given to the game of basketball. Good luck to D-Wade as he gears up for his final season in South Beach.