For nearly two decades, Hall of Fame guard Dwyane Wade (it feels good to officially write that) has been among the most popular basketball players in the world. Whether you were a Chicago native, Marquette alum, Miami Heat fan or just a general hoops head, the way that Wade played — the Way of Wade — drew your eyes to the television. Even in his later years, when a decade's worth of bumps, falls and bruises seemed to have scrunched up his generational springs, Wade captivated the everyday basketball fan with his skill, intelligence and technical mastery.

Unfortunately, Wades dream was almost over before it begun, as he noted during his Hall of Fame induction speech on Saturday night (h/t Alex Kennedy of Basketballnews):

“My mom went to jail when I was 9. My dad was in and out of jail. I didn’t pass my ACT test… I had a baby in college. All these things that’ll stop you from reaching your goals, I kept fighting because it was my dream.”

An impoverished background isn't rare among the members of the NBA fraternity, and though today's stars often arrive in the NBA from preparatory schools, many of those players weren't able to do so until they proved their work to those schools' athletic programs. Even still, coming from the south side of Chicago — an impoverished area where the lure of drugs and gangs lingers for generations — Wade's upbringing was particularly challenging.

His mother, who battled drug issues and is currently a pastor, went to jail when he was still a child. Though he would eventually move with his father — Dwyane Wade Sr. — the elder Dwyane was in and out of jail himself.

To make matters worse, after a stellar showing for Harold H. Richards High School in his junior and senior season, he would only get recruited by three schools because of his low ACT scores. He wasn't even able to play for his dream school, Michigan, because of it.

He sat out his freshman season while academically ineligible, as then girlfriend Siohvaughn Funches, gave birth to his first child (Zaya).

Fast forward to today and that may all be a distant memory for Wade.

Nonetheless, it's as much of a cautionary tale for those athletes who don't focus on their academics as much as they should as it is an inspirational and motivational testimony for those who face obstacles that they fear will stop them from reaching their goals.