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When I bought an issue of Slam Magazine in the summer of 2014, little did I know that it will come with a special Dwyane Wade poster. It depicts the three-time champ dunking the ball on a defensive sequence he initiated during Game 4 of their 2014 Finals series against the San Antonio Spurs. The Miami Heat would lose that series, but the poster does not fail to bring back memories of Wade cutting down the lane on the fastbreak with his signature hop-step and finishing with the dunk.
But that poster is already creasing on the sides, its corners slowly detaching from the wall. Sooner or later, I have to completely remove it with remorse.
And when that happens, The Flash would have retired from the game, too. That is if he chooses to fight off a player's natural desire for competition and just hang up the sneakers for good, a decision that will likely prove to be the best move for his career going forward.
The mysterious Wade train continues to roll on the tracks this summer as fans are still holding their collective breath while waiting for the 36-year-old's decision to return to the Heat for one last dance. While rumors are swirling in the Internet and social media that he and Chris Bosh will bring back the ‘Heatles' by joining LeBron James in Los Angeles, that's still a long shot from happening as Wade himself has reiterated that he will only play for the Heat if ever he opts to step foot in the hardwood again.
But the shooting guard has already made a living and established a name outside the court. Recently, he signed a lifetime contract with Chinese shoe brand, Li-Ning, and has partnered with fellow Heat-lifer Udonis Haslem to open up a pizza restaurant. Inc.'s Kevin J. Ryan wrote an article on how Wade has been equally great and creative at business as he is in basketball.
Wade, now 36, has ventured more into the business world in recent years. According to Business Insider,he's made $194 million in NBA salaries during his career, which spans three teams and includes an NBA Finals MVP. While he won't reveal how much of those earnings he's invested in his various businesses, he admits that his path has followed a familiar arc.
“When I was younger, I just wanted to play basketball,” he says. “But then you realize, most men or women make the most money in their careers in their 40s and 50s–that's when they hit the jackpot. In the NBA, we make ours at 20, sometimes 19 years old. By the time we're thirty-something, we're retired. So you have to spark your interest in other things, so you can continue to live the way you've become accustomed to.”
Wade translated his unique basketball skill set to his diverse business ventures. Ever since entering the industry, the 12-time All-Star has since owned socks and ties businesses.
Like most NBA stars, the Miami Heat guard and three-time NBA champion has footwear deals; unlike most NBA stars, he's the co-founder of a sock company for which he creates many of the designs himself. And he's the only athlete to have his own line with The Tie Bar, for whom he creates colorful bow ties and pocket squares to match his equally colorful socks.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that he has also carved a path towards investing in a winery business.
As has become almost a cliché for athletes at or past the twilights of their careers–just ask Wayne Gretzky, Arnold Palmer, and Joe Montana–Wade launched a wine label in 2015. Wade Cellars focuses on his preferred red and rosé Napa Valley wines, which, as the brand's website declares, he developed a taste for while hanging out with teammates Chris Bosh and Lebron James.
If Wade chooses to don the Heat jersey again this season, it won't definitely be about money. He has that area covered pretty well already. But just ask the great Michael Jordan about how a player's competitive juices just keep on flowing naturally. With LeBron James leaving the East this summer, the Heat have the pieces to potentially pose a serious threat to the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors. Wade very well might want to be a part of that mission.
Even so, Wade doesn't have anything left to prove. His basketball resume is already loaded with three Larry O'Brien trophies on the front page and a lot of individual accolades on the next. The Heat will undoubtedly benefit if Wade does come back, but they will not take a very hard fall if he doesn't.
Come to think of it, I believe that Pat Riley and the Heat would gain more if Wade indeed decides to retire. It will give the team's young guns to speed up their development and also provides the Heat with more ground to prepare for their long-term goals.
At 36 years of age, it will also give Wade more time to spend with his family. He's not getting any younger and his kids are certainly growing, all the more that they need the presence of their All-Star father.
While I won't be surprised to see Wade returning to the court once again, my hands are already prepared to scratch his creasing poster on my wall and stash it neatly on a carefully-placed box containing sentimental items.
