Dwyane Wade Owes Coach He Once Hated for Draft Lottery Status Alongside Lebron

Dwyane Wade’s NBA resume speaks for itself: three-time champion, 13-time All-Star, and 2006 Finals MVP. Not everyone gets the privilege of having their name among the greats like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. But Wade has the privilege of being considered one of the greatest shooting guards in league history. Even Stephen A. Smith once said, “D-Wade belongs on that 30th floor. Stop saying it’s less than that. I don’t care that Bill Russell has 11 rings. D-Wade is a champion. Period.” While Dwyane Wade himself might not admit his greatness, it can’t be denied that he does belong there. And like every great player, Wade too had a coach to tribute. Irony? He hated him!

So, how did a guy from the South Side of Chicago reach a realm that only a few selected can touch? It all started with him transferring from a school in Oak Lawn, Illinois, to Marquette University in Milwaukee. From there, he slowly made his way up to the top. His name later appeared in the legendary 2003 draft class, right after LeBron, Darko, Melo, and Bosh. He went fifth overall to the Miami Heat. Wade didn’t wait long to prove his worth, leading Miami to its first-ever title by 2006. But none of that happens, it seems, without one man’s relentless push to help him achieve the greatness he deserved!

During a recent visit to Pardon My Take, Wade opened up about those early battles. “Tom Crean was on my a– to a level of tears coming down a lot of times because I didn’t understand why he was on me so hard,” he said, reflecting on coach Tom Crean’s tough love. He revealed how they worked especially hard on his pick-and-rolls. “We drilled anytime I touch the paint, ‘you better dunk it.’” The workouts weren’t just tough; they became emotional. “I was going through a lot of, a lot of things in my family life when I went to college, and I wasn’t mature enough yet, had a lot of things going on. But he would not allow me to be less than what he thought that I was going to be,” He added.

At one point, Wade even tried to quit. “I told everybody I was leaving and entering the draft because I didn’t want to work,” he recalled. That’s when Crean stepped in hard.

“You didn’t come here to be average. I’m not allowing you to go to the NBA to be in the second round or to be late first round,” he told Wade at 3 a.m. in his office. “You came here to be great.” And Wade respected him and continued for one more year. “Tom Crean pulled all of my greatness out and then you guys got a chance to experience it, but it happened in Marquette in that small a– gym in Milwaukee,” Wade said. That moment kept him in school one more year. The result? He went number five in the draft. Crean had pulled greatness out of him, and the world got to see it.

The ACT scores that nearly ended Dwyane Wade’s dream

Wade’s legacy is carved into NBA history, but before the highlights and titles, there was a test score that nearly ended it all. He once described it bluntly: “My first set of scores wasn’t bad; they were disastrous.” It was threatening everything he hoped for. At that moment, his dream didn’t just feel far away; it felt impossible. And yet, against all odds, he kept showing up.

He was supposed to shine on the court, not worry about test prep and college eligibility. But eligibility was everything. After his ACT scores disqualified him from playing, Wade found himself stuck on the sidelines. The dream of Michigan vanished quickly. Worse, his third try at the ACT brought even lower numbers. Can you imagine working that hard and watching it fall apart on paper? Wade said it best: “They sucked.” He owned up to his shortcomings in a straightforward manner.

Thankfully, not everyone gave up on him. Tom Crean, Marquette’s head coach, didn’t back down. He made it clear: “You’re coming here and we’ll stay with everything as planned.” That meant no games, no travel, just books and hard work. And when Wade’s third score crushed him emotionally, Crean didn’t offer judgment. “We both cried,” Wade admitted. In a world that often counted him out, Crean stayed in.

Then came another life-altering moment: his girlfriend’s pregnancy. It could’ve been a tipping point. But again, Crean stayed grounded. “Whatever happens, whatever you decide, I’m here and we’ll get through this together.” That kind of quiet loyalty built something no stat sheet can show. It gave Wade stability and someone he could rely on.

Wade used that foundation to rise. He rededicated himself to tutoring and academics, earning his chance back. When he finally hit the court, he blasted to the scene. In 2003, he carried Marquette to the Final Four. Years later, reflecting on his decision, Wade wrote: “No matter, I was sold all the same.” Sold on a place, a program, and most of all, on a belief that test scores could never define his future.