Dwyane Wade has made life decisions that at the time may have seemed controversial. Whether it be ditching Nike for the yet-to-be-established brand Li-Ning, or his fashion choices during and after retiring from the NBA.

The 3X NBA champion has faced every criticism chin up and never backed down. He recently launched Way of Wade Academy in China, was nominated as an executive producer for his movie at the Oscars and continued his endorsement of Versace. When he started his NBA career, he was pitted against LeBron James in 2003. LeBron was considered the next big thing, yet it was Wade who won the first championship in 2006 with the Miami Heat. Wade and LeBron would go on to win championships together in 2012 and 2013 for the Heat.

Wade was 24 years old when he first won his championship. He performed like never before and was crowned the MVP. After seeing such a performance, Shaquille O’Neal coined his nickname as Flash. In a recent interview with Highsnobiety, the Miami Heat legend opened up about what he felt about himself during that final.

“I wouldn’t allow anyone to tell me what I could not accomplish.” Dwyane Wade hated how the world would somehow mock him for everything. He always believed in himself and was ready to prove his doubters wrong. Wade continues that he was obsessed with the thought of winning and cementing his legacy. “I was like, ‘Oh man, I’m really about this. I’m really obsessed with what I want to do and who I want to be, because I’m actually becoming it.’”

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Dwyane Wade’s Legacy with the Miami Heat

During his time Dwyane Wade was considered one of the difficult players to guard because of his speed and agility. Apart from his 3 championships and one MVP award, Wade was featured in the NBA All-Star team 13 times. In 2021 he was included in the NBA 75th Anniversary team, also known as NBA 75.

Some credit to his performance directly correlates with the formation of the Super team. Also known as the Big 3, it consists of LeBron James and Chris Bosh alongside Dwyane Wade. During the 4 seasons, the Big 3 played together, they won the championship 2 times. His biggest moment happened in 2023 when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. After achieving everything that one can achieve, Wade wishes to be present for his children now.

“But when it comes to things I can control, like my chase to be a certain kind of father — that’s there. I want to show up for my family in ways that I’ve always dreamed of, too.”

Read More: Father of 5, Dwyane Wade Isn’t Satisfied by Being a “Cool” Dad; Opts for a Distinct Route to Win Over His Children