Dwyane Wade might not dazzle in the NBA hardwood ever again, but he's put his talents and knowledge to good use by mentoring some of the game's biggest rising stars. Wade has taken to coach youngsters like Devin Booker, De'Aaron Fox, Andrew Wiggins, and others — something he had been doing for a while in his playing days, but can now do without the chagrin of old school players like Charles Barkley.

In an interview with Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated, Wade explained the generational difference between Barkley's era of tough NBA dudes and the much-friendlier era that he enjoyed during his 15 NBA seasons.

“Yeah, man. It’s just a shame that it was looked at that way,” said Wade. “You just kinda respect the generations, man. It’s not only sports, it’s music, it’s acting, it’s so many things. Our generation was different then theirs, and this next generation is different from the one I came in. That’s just the way the world goes. To me, it doesn’t matter. The biggest thing is the game continues to grow. I don’t care how the game is played. How we played it was how we played it. And the game will forever be played different from the era we played in. For me, it’s always about being connected to the next generation. I love this game, I will forever love it, I just want to make sure I can give back for as long as I can.”

Wade has been impressed by up-and-coming guys like Fox and even Wiggins, who have been constants at his camp.

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Charles Barkley surrounded by piles of cash.

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“Their love for it, more than anything. Their love for the game is highly evident,” he said. “I love to be around guys that love it the same way I love it, no matter what age we are, no matter what background we come from. You see some of the photos from it, some of the videos, you see a lot of smiles. From young players who just got in to players like myself, who’ve retired. The smile is genuine. That’s the way that we connect.”

Booker, Wiggins, and Fox will be better player because of the knowledge that Wade is passing down, much like a Moses Malone did with Barkley when he first came into the league overweight and overzealous. The NBA no longer knows the team boundary, but has rather become a fraternity that has the blossoming of the sports as its common goal.