Apr 10, 2019; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade (3) at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
It’s never an easy decision for an athlete to walk away from the sport that they love. But with Father Time undefeated, the moment comes for every player, no matter the legacy or the resume.
Dwyane Wade found this out the hard way during his NBA tenure. While he officially retired in 2019, Wade says he felt like he still had a few more years left in him. Ultimately, however, there was a point where Wade had to decide how he wanted to be remembered, and the desire to preserve his legacy as-is pushed him to step down.
“It really warmed my heart with the ovation I got on the way out,” said Wade on ‘Conversations with Cam.’ “I poured everything I had into the game. I was as good as I was gonna get, and I was okay with that. Just feeling the fans’ love on the way out, it allowed me to put the game to rest. So, once I got to the end of the season, I was ready. Physically, I was ready. Mentally, I felt I was prepared. I felt like that chapter needed to close before this generation saw me as really, really bad… I was averaging 16 points a game. I was still getting buckets… If I stayed 2 more seasons, which I thought I had, this generation would’ve been like, ‘He’s terrible.’”
Wade, an NBA Hall of Famer, played 16 years in the NBA, posting career averages of 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on 48.0% shooting from the field. As a three-time champion, 13x All-Star, and former Finals MVP, his status as one of the all-time greats is undeniable.
Known for his time on the Heat, Wade was the heart and soul of the franchise for well over a decade before he joined the Bulls in 2016. By that point, he was already showing signs of decline, but he would go on to play two more full seasons, with his final being the 2018-19 campaign.
With averages of 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game on 43.3% shooting, Wade was convinced he could extend his career for another two seasons, which would have put him on that 2020 team that made the NBA Finals. Instead, he called it quits so that the memory of his game would not be tarnished. The mental toll also played a major role.
With examples like Kobe Bryant, Tony Parker, Kevin Garnett, and Allen Iverson, Wade knew better than to overstay his welcome. He didn’t want to become one of those veterans who were there purely for the vibes, playing just to satisfy his itch for the game. He wanted to end his career with a little more grace and not taint his legacy for the younger generation, who did not watch him in his prime.
It was a tough call to make, and Wade still misses the action, but it was probably for the best. Unlike Chris Paul, he was able to go out on his own terms and maintain a positive relationship with the team he will forever be tied to. By the end, he was at peace with the decision and with the totality of his career after nearly two decades of stardom.