Appreciating Dwyane Wade’s basketball career

Three-time NBA champion, multi-time All-Star and legend Dwyane Wade announced that he will return to the Miami Heat to play out his 16th and final season of basketball. After much deliberation over the summer, Wade decided to return for what will be an emotional concluding season to his ornate career.

Wade was born and raised in Chicago, Ill., where he experienced a dangerous early life. He found solace in sports, however, which kept him out of potentially dangerous situations on the streets. After a successful high school career, Wade decided to attend Marquette University, where he lead the program to its first Final Four appearance since the 1977 season. His outstanding play led to him being selected by the Miami Heat with the fifth pick of the 2003 draft, which was stacked with talent such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh.

Wade started his career with a bang, leading the Heat to the Eastern Conference Semifinals along with averaging 16 points on the way to a spot on All-Rookie First team.

In his third season, Wade took the next step to stardom and lead the Heat to their first NBA Championship. In a series versus Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, Wade put up multiple special performances, including a 42-point game three and a 43-point game five, which played part in him earning the NBA Finals MVP award.

Although his early career is his best play, Wade will be remembered most as being a member of the big three Heat teams with LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Wade, James and Bosh lead the Heat to two championships in four years together, giving Wade a total of three Larry O’Brien trophies, and so many memorable plays like Wade’s infamous lob to James in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2010.

After suffering defeat in the 2014 Finals to the San Antonio Spurs, James decided to leave the Heat to return to Cleveland, leaving Wade and Bosh in Miami. Wade and the Heat missed the playoffs for only the second time in his career.

Eventually, Wade left the Heat after a contract dispute and joined Jimmy Butler and point-god Rajon Rondo on the Chicago Bulls for the 2016 NBA season. The Bulls never coalesced and faced chemistry issues all season, resulting in sneaking into the playoffs as an eighth seed. Add in a Rondo injury in the playoffs and the Bulls subsequently blowing a 2-0 lead to the Boston Celtics, Wade decided he needed another chance of scenery and chose to rejoin longtime friend LeBron James in Cleveland.

His stint with the Cavs didn’t last long, as he was traded back home to Miami in a mid-season trade. Wade provided a spark and needed veteran presence to help lead the Heat to the playoffs, where they were defeated by the young, talented Philadelphia 76ers. Now, he will return back to the Heat for a 16th and final season.

Wade’s amazing career can teach us something. His return for this final season should show us that if you love and enjoy something, you should get the most out of it before you can’t anymore. Being a professional athlete at Wade’s level is a blessing that he won’t be able to experience again, so he’s enjoying every last second of it before it’s over. Despite suffering countless injuries over the course of his career, Wade never quit and came back stronger and better. He also made sure to have fun, especially during those years with LeBron, and enjoy the game he loves.

Whether it be his uncanny ability to finish at the rim or his clutch gene that allows him to take over games when his team needs it the most, Dwyane Wade is truly a basketball legend. His hustle, heart, playmaking ability and love for the game make him a great role model for young basketball players or basketball fans in general. We should make sure to enjoy every last second of D-Wade’s game while we still can. Knowing him, he’ll only add to his storied career this season and make more memorable moments and shots. Here’s to a great and fruitful final season, D-Wade, can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store.