Former Miami Heat star and Utah Jazz minority owner Dwyane Wade watches the teams warm up before the game between the Utah Utes and the Colorado Buffaloes at Jon M. Huntsman Center.
Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Dwyane Wade might have thought that shaving his beard would make him look a little younger, but instead, the Miami Heat legend opened himself up to one of the funniest comment sections of the offseason.
Wade showed off his clean-shaven look on Instagram and jokingly asked, “How many years should I take off?” while adding that “The Beard needed a break.”
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That transformation was significant enough for former teammates, current NBA stars, celebrities, and fans to immediately start roasting the three-time champion.
Kevin Hart delivered perhaps the harshest reaction of them all.
“Booty face head ass boi.”
Bam Adebayo was not much kinder. The current Heat star tagged Udonis Haslem, and asked, “@UD40 we need to go check on bro?”
That prompted Wade to respond with a middle finger emoji.
But Adebayo was far from the only NBA player who had something to say.
Carmelo Anthony, one of Wade’s close friends and a fellow member of the legendary 2003 draft class, simply wrote*,”Come on CHAMP 😂.”*
And Boston Celtics star Paul George took the joke in a different direction.
“They gone think you had plastic surgery bro lol.”
Former NBA champion J.R. Smith was equally stunned, commenting, “Boooooyyyyyyyyy🤣.”
Those reactions just show how dramatically different Wade looked without the facial hair that had been part of his appearance for years.
Wade retired in 2019 after a 16-season NBA career, but his relationships across the league remain very strong, and nobody was going to let him go quietly when he debuted a new look.
And fans were even more creative.
One joked that Wade now “look like you bouta star as a detective in an action comedy film,” while another brought Chris Bosh into the discussion by writing, “Sorry Chris Bosh it was Wade the whole time.”
Another fan related to Wade’s decision and wrote, “I did the same thing! Breeze hitting the face feels different.”
“Bro turned Dominican,” one user joked.
Despite all the jokes, Wade seems to be happy with the change. His wife, Gabrielle Union, apparently approved the look, and Wade later shared a photo of her kissing him on the cheek and writing.
So Wade at least has the most important vote on his side.
But still, once NBA players saw the photos, there was no chance he was escaping without getting cooked. Wade might have won three championships, a Finals MVP, and earned 13 All-Star selections, but none of those accomplishments could offer him any protection in the Instagram comments.
That beard might eventually return, but until then, Wade will probably have to keep hearing about his new look from the same players and friends who spent years showing him respect on the basketball court.