“Whatever happens, whatever you decide, I’m here and we’ll get through this together.” That’s the kind of reassurance we all crave—steady, unconditional, and real. Dwyane Wade was lucky enough to hear those words from his Marquette coach, Tom Crean, at a time when he needed it the most. And look at where that belief carried him: 3-time NBA champion, 13-time All-Star, 2006 Finals MVP. Over 1,000 games played, averaging 22.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds. Sometimes, the right words at the right moment don’t just lift you—they launch you.

So, how does a kid from the South Side of Chicago end up brushing shoulders with the game’s greats? It started with a school transfer—from Oak Lawn, Illinois, to Marquette University in Milwaukee. That quiet shift became the spark. A few years later, his name was called fifth in that iconic 2003 draft, right after LeBron, Melo, and Bosh. By 2006, he was delivering Miami its first-ever championship. But let’s be real—none of it would have happened without one man in his corner, pushing him toward the greatness he was always meant for. 

On his WY Network podcast, Dwyane Wade lit up while talking about his college days at Marquette—and the coach who lit that fire in him: Tom Crean. The bond was deeper than basketball. Wade recalled how Crean would give him the ultimate green light late in games. “There was nothing better than getting an iso by Coach Crean in college,” he said, grinning. “I’ll get the iso right at the end, he’d be like, ‘kill his a–.’” Just one line? It was all the fuel Wade needed. You could feel how much that memory still pumped him up, even years later.

He also shared a personal anecdote about Coach Crean. In one game, D-Wade was feeling nervous about making some clutch free throws. He walked into the huddle, unsure, but Coach Crean wasn’t worried at all. “‘Hey, he’s about to make these,’” the coach said confidently. “‘As soon as he makes this—” That moment flipped something inside him. “I was sitting there like, ‘yeah, I’m about to make these,’” Wade said, smiling. “Something that simple, but the confidence is everything.” And honestly? You could tell it still means the world to him.

In just two seasons with the Golden Eagles, Dwyane Wade started all 65 games and stuffed the stat sheet, averaging 19.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. As a sophomore in 2001–02, he put up 17.8 points a night on an efficient 48.7% shooting. But it was his junior year when he truly leveled up, dropping 21.5 points per game on 50.1% shooting while adding nearly 6 boards and 4.4 assists. He attacked the rim more, got to the line consistently, and knocked down nearly 78% of his free throws. That year, he wasn’t just good—he was First-Team All-American good.

But there was a moment, before all the greatness, when D-Wade almost decided to walk away from the game.

Dwyane Wade almost quit because of Tom Crean

Dwyane Wade almost walked away from it all. During his college years at Marquette, life was heavy—on and off the court. “Tom Crean was on my a– to a level of tears coming down a lot of times,” Wade admitted on Pardon My Take, revealing how relentless his coach was. The drills were grueling—“anytime I touch the paint, ‘you better dunk it’”—but the emotional weight was even heavier. Wade was struggling at home, still growing into himself, and didn’t feel ready. “I wasn’t mature enough yet… but he would not allow me to be less than what he thought that I was going to be.” He told everyone he was quitting and entering the draft. But then came that 3 a.m. meeting. Crean didn’t flinch: “You didn’t come here to be average… you came here to be great.” And that one moment pulled Wade back in.

That decision changed everything. Wade stayed. He gave it one more year. And what happened in that “small a– gym in Milwaukee,” as he called it, paved the way for the world to meet the fifth overall pick in the 2003 draft. A year earlier, Wade didn’t even want to work. Now, he was stepping into greatness. And through it all—academic struggles, personal challenges, and even a moment when the ACT seemed like it might end his dreams—Crean never let him fall through the cracks. “We both cried,” Wade recalled after failing his ACT again. But Crean’s belief never wavered. “You’re coming here,” he said. No games. No shortcuts. Just books, tutoring, and support. Wade didn’t just find a coach—he found a believer.

That belief never faded. In 2009, while being inducted into the Marquette Hall of Fame, Wade publicly thanked Crean in a way that only someone who’s been through it could. “I want to say thank you for being hard on me, as you were.” And then, with his voice full of emotion, he shared very personal moment. “I had a child and I really didn’t know at that time what to do. And I went to Coach… I started crying and he put my head on his shoulder and said, ‘We will get through this.’” That’s not just a coach. That’s a lifeline. “Coach, we got through it in a very big way,” Wade said. “So thank you for being a father figure to me.”

Sometimes it’s not the loudest crowd or flashiest play that makes a legend. Sometimes, all it takes is one person whispering, “You got this,” at exactly the right time.