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Before the beginning of the season, Dwyane Wade announced that he will play one more year before walking away from the NBA for good. The three-time champion is set to retire this year, whether the Miami Heat makes the playoffs or not.
But even before Wade made his decision, there were already rumors that he might not be coming back this season, mainly because of injuries. The 13-time All-Star told Sports Illustrated's Rohan Nadkarni that his decision to return was mostly because of the fans in Miami.
“I wanted to give [my fans] a full year, a full picture of my career. I wanted to say goodbye to everybody as much as I can, and I wanted to say thank you. I could play another year. But for me, it’s time. No one really gets to walk away from the game at the perfect time. No one’s ending is perfect. I have more left, but I don’t want to empty it all out. The passion and joy is not the same it used to be. My mind’s not 100% in it. And when it got to that point, it was time for me to walk away. I’ve given everything to this game.”
Wade has received video tributes, standing ovations, and even gifts from all the teams the Heat has faced this season. He also started the tradition of swapping jerseys with at least the best player or the rising star of the opposing teams as a way to show his respect.
The Heat has five games left in the regular season, and while it's still unclear if they can extend Wade's last dance or not. They could still lose the spot to the ninth-seeded Orlando Magic, who are just half a game behind them for the final postseason spot.
But no matter what happens, Wade is ready to walk away from the game, and he will do it with no regrets.
