As a minority owner of the Utah Jazz, Dwyane Wade felt the need to say something before the NBA draft. Wade stepped up the moment the Jazz won the No. 5 pick. It was the same spot Wade was chosen by the Miami Heat in 2003.
"I'll never forget D-Wade's quote," Jazz owner Ryan Smith said Thursday on the Pat McAfee Show. "Obviously, we're hoping for the draft lottery and everything came out. His quote right away was, `hey, there's been a lot of killer players picked at No. 5."'
The Jazz selected Ace Bailey out of Rutgers Wednesday night. The hope is he has the same impact as Wade in the league. Wade was considered a darkhorse player in a draft that included LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh.
Despite being the last chosen of the bunch, Wade kept up with his Hall of Fame peers. He led the Heat to the first title in franchise history in 2006, defeating the Dallas Mavericks. Wade was named MVP in what some call one of the greatest NBA Finals performances ever. Later, he teamed with James and Bosh to lead the Heat to consecutive titles in 2012 and 2013. His career was given its due when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023.
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