Dwyane Wade is slowly shedding his reluctant host image with his articulate off-court acts these days. Unlike some disgruntled veterans reviving vintage feuds, the three-time NBA champion is throwing his weight behind the greats of the game to set it right for young players.

The Cube host was at his effusive best while speaking his heart out in a podcast, garnering widespread acclaim and viral responses. Wade’s avid defense of a deviant young player has already become the talk of the town.

‘Take a Leaf From the Book of the Greats’

In an interview with Shannon Sharpe, Wade invoked the greats of the game to make sense of Ja Morant’s case. The Heat icon dropped the seven-word question – what do you want for your future? – for the Memphis Grizzlies guard serving a 25-game suspension after being seen with a gun on social media twice this year. If Morant wants to be one of the greatest, Wade said, he should correct his behavior.

“Let me open up the books to show you what the greats do,” he advised Morant. “…I love Kobe, I love LeBron, I love MJ. All these guys, all of us, go through something, right? It’s all about nobody making the same mistake twice. No, we don’t. But if you make it twice, we don’t want to make it three times. That’s not how this works…”

Wade’s fatherly advice: ‘Minimize mistakes’

After previously drawing parallels between his game and Ja Morant’s court, Wade has now offered his fatherly advice to the young player whose off-court controversy is currently creating a lot of commotion.

“I’m not gonna act like some mistakes are not gonna happen. Okay, try to minimize them,” Wade said.

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“If I’m your father, you know what I’ve done the same thing. I’ve made the same mistake twice in other instances as well, right? It just wasn’t in front of the whole world, right? And so, that’s how I go in and that’s how I parent my kids.”

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Wade’s words are seen as a huge relief to the young gun facing flak for his social media stunt. One of the greats ever gracing the game now wants his favorite player and a grounded guard to make a strong comeback.