Sometimes growing up, we are told that athletes are nothing more than just that, an athlete. Someone who we shouldn't idolize off the court, and should only appreciate for what they do on the court. Their lives, character, are not things that we want our children emulating. However, sometimes there comes an athlete that we can't help but point our children toward, saying, "Look at him/her. They are using their gifts to not only better their own lives, but the lives of everyone around them. Be like that. No matter what you become."
That same thing can be absolutely said about one of the greatest guards to ever play the game of basketball, Dwyane Wade. What he has done for the South Florida communities can no be overstated in any way. He is the epitome of what it means to make everything that you touch better. He is the type of man that young men, wanting to make a difference in their communities, should look up to and try to emulate. Everything about how he has carried himself, and his career, deserve to be remembered for a very long time after he walked off the court for the last time this season.
Dwyane Wade has had one of the most decorated careers of any guard to every attempt to put the ball through the hoop. In just his time in the NBA, he has accumulated accolades that practically guarantee he will be a first round Hall of Fame inductee. He’s a three time NBA champion, the NBA finals MVP in 2006, a 13 time all-star, and a 8 time all NBA player. For a guard, he’s been one of the best defensively to ever step foot on the court. A 3 time all NBA defensive player, as well as making the second team all defense three times in his career, Dwyane will be known as the only player ever under 6 foot, 4 inches to accumulate over 700 blocks in his career.
Even if that was all Wade had done in his career, never reaching out into the Miami community he so desperately loved, he would still be revered as one of the greatest men to ever play the game. But that wasn’t Wade’s mindset. He did not limit himself to just keeping to himself in the arena, never extending himself into the community where most of his fanbase originated from. And it’s because of that, that many people will remember Wade as not only an incredible athlete, but an incredible man as well.
One of the most memorable and public acts of service Dwyane Wade did for his community was after the Parkland School shooting in 2018. A tragic event that left 17 families without sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters to come home to. It was an event that shook the entire community to it’s very core. The school itself was shut down for a week, while all of the students tried to recover from the fact that many would never see their friends alive again.
Joaquin Oliver was a huge Dwyane Wade and Miami Heat fan. He had attended many of their games growing up, and everyone that knew Jaoquin knew of his intense love for the Miami Heat guard. Oliver was among the students that were tragically killed on February 14th, 2018. He was buried in one of his most prized possessions, a replica Dwyane Wade jersey. When Wade heard of this, he immediately invited the Oliver family to meet with him at one of the upcoming Heat games, an offer that they readily took up, knowing how much it would mean to their son.
After this, Wade made sure to make an appearance at the actual school, taking pictures with all of the students and spending as much time as he could during that day speaking with them over the tragedy that had occurred. Touched by what he heard, as well as his experience with the Oliver family, Wade sponsored the creation of the Parkland 17 art exhibit, where all 17 students that lost their lives on that horrible day were remembered. Continuing to pour even more resources into the community, Wade and his wife, Gabrielle Union pledged over $200,000 to the March For Our Lives demonstration over gun violence.
Wade did more than just work with Parkland during his time in Miami, as can be seen by this video, created by Budweiser. The lives he touched during his career can never be counted. He is a man that any parent would be proud for their children to think of as a hero, a role model. And that’s because of his efforts not only on the court, in the arena, but across the entire nation and especially in the community he played in.
One of Wade’s most notable quotes during his career was, “I can do more than dribble. For me it's bigger than basketball. It's bigger than dribbling, and I've been given an opportunity to use my voice. I've been given an opportunity to stand for so many that cannot.”
Well Wade, you’ve used that voice in an incredibly wonderful way. You have touched more people that you could ever realize, and the Miami community is much better for it. The NBA and the athletes that play in it, are better for it as well.
Thank you Dwyane for a blessing us with a wonderful career, and being the wonderful man you are.
Cover picture courtesy of DwyaneWade.com
Sources:
Dwyanewade.com
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