His induction to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame was a family event for Dwyane Wade. After showering his kin with praise during an emotional speech that culminated in a heartwarming, on-stage moment with his once estranged father, the Miami Heat legend made some time for his extended basketball family, too.

Future Hall-of-Famers Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, two of Wade's closest friends in the NBA, were in attendance in Springfield, Massachusetts on Saturday to celebrate his official basketball immortality.

Absent from this weekend's event was Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, fourth member of the “brotherhood” featuring Wade, Anthony and Paul. The quartet has been close dating back to the early and mid-2000s, when they entered the NBA as top-five draft picks and quickly emerged as era-defining superstars.

They also helped usher in a new chapter of athlete activism after the 2016 murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, collectively taking stage at the ESPYs demanding an end to systemic racism. Five years later, they were once again in the ESPYs spotlight to commemorate Anthony's retirement from basketball.

Needless to say, the binds that bond Dwyane Wade, Paul, Anthony and James are unbreakable. As Wade enters the Hall of Fame and another NBA season soon tips off without Anthony, it's a reminder of just how remarkable it is that Paul and James—both set to turn 39 in 2023-24—remain central players in the league-wide race for a championship.

Wade's induction came first, and Anthony's will soon follow in a couple years. Once Paul and James join them, a new era of basketball will have already dawned, the sun finally setting for good on the “brotherhood's” unforgettable, culture-setting tenure as leaders of the NBA world.