NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 26: Dwyane Wade attends the 2024 Albie Awards presented by the Clooney Foundation for Justice at New York Public Library on September 26, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)EXCLUSIVE: The NBA superstars, along with Wade\'s actress girlfriend Gabrielle Union, were spotted enjoying the off-season like true \'ballers - on a 130ft $17m yacht off the Bahamian island of Staniel Cay. The gang spent at least 3 days anchored off the island, and could be seen having a great time riding jet skis, a banana boat, going down a huge water slide and flying around in a water jet pack. An onlooker said: "They were definitely having a great time. They had loud music all day. You could see them hanging out and having fun. It was an impressive boat." At one point they visited Pig Beach, where tourists can take pictures with wild pigs in the water, but only Gabrielle ventured out to see them. According to one onlooker, LeBron shouted to her "Those pigs are gonna bite you!". Their 3-storey 5-bedroom yacht, the Amarula Sun, is believed to be available for hire from the Bahamian island of Nassau. **NOTE PHOTOS from over the weekend of JULY 4th, 2015** Pictured: gabrielle union,dwyane wade,chris paul,lebron james,gabrielle union dwyane wade chris paul lebron james dwyane wade goes down the slide lebron james far right general view Ref: BLU_S1051366 070715 EXCLUSIVE Picture by: / SplashNews.com Splash News and Pictures USA: 310-525-5808 UK: 020 8126 1009 eamteam@shutterstock.com World Rights
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 26: Dwyane Wade attends the 2024 Albie Awards presented by the Clooney Foundation for Justice at New York Public Library on September 26, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)EXCLUSIVE: The NBA superstars, along with Wade\'s actress girlfriend Gabrielle Union, were spotted enjoying the off-season like true \'ballers - on a 130ft $17m yacht off the Bahamian island of Staniel Cay. The gang spent at least 3 days anchored off the island, and could be seen having a great time riding jet skis, a banana boat, going down a huge water slide and flying around in a water jet pack. An onlooker said: "They were definitely having a great time. They had loud music all day. You could see them hanging out and having fun. It was an impressive boat." At one point they visited Pig Beach, where tourists can take pictures with wild pigs in the water, but only Gabrielle ventured out to see them. According to one onlooker, LeBron shouted to her "Those pigs are gonna bite you!". Their 3-storey 5-bedroom yacht, the Amarula Sun, is believed to be available for hire from the Bahamian island of Nassau. **NOTE PHOTOS from over the weekend of JULY 4th, 2015** Pictured: gabrielle union,dwyane wade,chris paul,lebron james,gabrielle union dwyane wade chris paul lebron james dwyane wade goes down the slide lebron james far right general view Ref: BLU_S1051366 070715 EXCLUSIVE Picture by: / SplashNews.com Splash News and Pictures USA: 310-525-5808 UK: 020 8126 1009 eamteam@shutterstock.com World Rights
NEED TO KNOW
Dwyane Wade explained the origin of the iconic photo of himself on a banana boat with LeBron James, Chris Paul and Gabrielle Union
Wade said the group got on the banana boat because Union wanted to during a group vacation
He added that "no one was supposed to have seen" the group on the boat
Dwyane Wade says the world was never supposed to see one of the most iconic photos in NBA history.
Wade, 43, explained the origin of the "Banana Boat team" photo — in which he and his wife Gabrielle Union are seen riding a banana boat with NBA stars Chris Paul and LeBron James during a 2015 vacation — during an appearance on the Friday, May 23 episode of Pardon My Take.
The former Miami Heat star revealed that it was Union, 52, who wanted to take the banana boat out onto the water and that neither he nor his NBA superstar pals thought cameras would capture the outing.
"My wife wanted to go on a banana boat," said Wade. "So, Chris Paul, Bron and I all got on a banana boat. Now, we were in the middle of nowhere, no one was supposed to know this but us," Wade continued.
"Someone took a photo from God knows where. No one was supposed to have seen us on a banana boat!"
EXCLUSIVE: The NBA superstars, along with Wade\'s actress girlfriend Gabrielle Union, were spotted enjoying the off-season like true \'ballers - on a 130ft $17m yacht off the Bahamian island of Staniel Cay. The gang spent at least 3 days anchored off the island, and could be seen having a great time riding jet skis, a banana boat, going down a huge water slide and flying around in a water jet pack. An onlooker said: "They were definitely having a great time. They had loud music all day. You could see them hanging out and having fun. It was an impressive boat." At one point they visited Pig Beach, where tourists can take pictures with wild pigs in the water, but only Gabrielle ventured out to see them. According to one onlooker, LeBron shouted to her "Those pigs are gonna bite you!". Their 3-storey 5-bedroom yacht, the Amarula Sun, is believed to be available for hire from the Bahamian island of Nassau. **NOTE PHOTOS from over the weekend of JULY 4th, 2015** Pictured: gabrielle union,dwyane wade,chris paul,lebron james,gabrielle union dwyane wade chris paul lebron james dwyane wade goes down the slide lebron james far right general view Ref: BLU_S1051366 070715 EXCLUSIVE Picture by: / SplashNews.com Splash News and Pictures USA: 310-525-5808 UK: 020 8126 1009 eamteam@shutterstock.com World Rights
EXCLUSIVE: The NBA superstars, along with Wade\'s actress girlfriend Gabrielle Union, were spotted enjoying the off-season like true \'ballers - on a 130ft $17m yacht off the Bahamian island of Staniel Cay. The gang spent at least 3 days anchored off the island, and could be seen having a great time riding jet skis, a banana boat, going down a huge water slide and flying around in a water jet pack. An onlooker said: "They were definitely having a great time. They had loud music all day. You could see them hanging out and having fun. It was an impressive boat." At one point they visited Pig Beach, where tourists can take pictures with wild pigs in the water, but only Gabrielle ventured out to see them. According to one onlooker, LeBron shouted to her "Those pigs are gonna bite you!". Their 3-storey 5-bedroom yacht, the Amarula Sun, is believed to be available for hire from the Bahamian island of Nassau. **NOTE PHOTOS from over the weekend of JULY 4th, 2015** Pictured: gabrielle union,dwyane wade,chris paul,lebron james,gabrielle union dwyane wade chris paul lebron james dwyane wade goes down the slide lebron james far right general view Ref: BLU_S1051366 070715 EXCLUSIVE Picture by: / SplashNews.com Splash News and Pictures USA: 310-525-5808 UK: 020 8126 1009 eamteam@shutterstock.com World Rights
Cleverly, Wade added, "First of all, if I knew they were taking a photo, we would have looked a little cooler."
He also revealed that Carmelo Anthony, not pictured in the iconic image but considered a member of the "Banana Boat team," joined the group on that vacation shortly after the photo was taken, and possibly would have also been on the banana boat if he had arrived in time.
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The "Banana Boat team" grew into a well-known concept among NBA fans after the photo surfaced of James, Paul, Wade and Anthony, who have been longtime friends since they were teenagers and former teammates on the 2008 Olympic gold medal team. The group has regularly vacationed together with their families.
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Union and Wade first met in 2007 but didn't go public with their relationship until 2010. They tied the knot on Aug. 30, 2014 during an intimate wedding in Miami. In November 2018, the couple welcomed their first child together: daughter Kaavia James.
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union Wade attend The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union Wade attend The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
James, 40, has been married to high-school sweetheart Savannah James since 2013 and they share three children: LeBron "Bronny" James Jr., Bryce Maximus and Zhuri Nova.
Paul, 40, married his wife Jada Paul (née Crawley) in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2011, with their then-toddler son in attendance. They welcomed their second child, daughter Camryn, the following year.