Basketball often births names that linger beyond highlights and are legendary. Some are etched in championship banners; others are whispered through decades but don’t carry the same impact. Once in a while, an old name resurfaces, not through legacy, but through coincidence. In Cleveland, a peculiar moment unfolds every time the announcer calls out ‘DW.’ For longtime NBA fans, it reminds them of the icon Dwyane Wade, but it’s not, as it’s oddly familiar. After all, Dwyane Wade’s name became synonymous with greatness, grit, and unforgettable clutch moments in Miami’s golden era.

That name, DW, has a lot of history in the league, as it’s borne by one of the greatest players of all time. It belongs to a three-time champion, a Finals MVP, and a notable figure from Miami. However, someone else on the Cavaliers’ roster now owns it. Dwyane Wade was watching another Cavs player with his surname create a strange and almost comical echo. Dean Wade, the 28-year-old forward, is the one who makes the Miami icon crazy.

Wade, now a Hall of Famer and cultural mainstay of the Miami Heat dynasty, reacted to Pardon My Take which pulled listeners into an unspoken irony. The man in question? It was none other than Dean Wade. “Every time I watch a Cavs game and I hear them say DW, it’s crazy to me,” Wade said, laughing. “He’s so different from me.” Different, yes — but unintentionally, Dean’s initials reopen a vault Dwyane Wade rarely visits. This chapter started in 2017, and many fans have forgotten about it. Wade may want to forget about it, too.

Wade played with the Chicago Bulls for a short time and then joined the Cavaliers to be alongside LeBron James again. Two champs coming back together in Cleveland was supposed to be poetic. Instead, it was strange, short-lived, and, as Wade himself said, confusing. “Cleveland was a whole different beast, bro,” Wade said. “It was a lot going on before I got there, obviously coming there as Bron’s guy, I got thrown into the s—,” I was like a zombie,” he once confessed. Playing 46 games for the Cavs, he never wore the iconic No. 3. Instead, he switched to No. 9 — a choice rooted in Olympic nostalgia but visually out of place, symbolizing a mismatch that went deeper than the fabric.

Fans spotted something lacking when Wade recently showed off a tattoo as a tribute to his career, which included Richards High School, Marquette, Team USA, and most importantly, the Miami Heat. The Bulls and the Cavaliers both missed out. The mustard-colored No. 9 jersey is missing in particular. “Oo, it’s nasty. it definitely one of the most nastiest jerseys. But you see, I didn’t even want No. 3 in that jersey ’cause I was like, ‘Nah, this ain’t a good look,’” he admitted on 7PM in Brooklyn. That deliberate omission spoke louder than any criticism ever could. Wade didn’t just forget Cleveland; he erased it.

Dean Wade carries the name of Dwyane Wade, but not the baggage

While Dwyane Wade distances himself from his Cavaliers past, Dean Wade’s path is just the beginning, as the one that couldn’t be more different in tone but eerily aligned in title. Since entering the NBA in 2019 and making his first start in 2021, he has carved out a role as a gritty, dependable forward for Cleveland. People recognize him more for how hard he works than for how famous he is compared to Dwyane Wade. But now, without meaning to, he’s become a walking, dunking echo for his team, bringing in his experience from the Kansas State Wildcats.

Interestingly, there’s no bitterness, just joy. “It’s kind of cool,” Wade said, acknowledging Dean’s presence in the league. “When I watch him I’m like it’s still a DW in the game.” That comment may appear simple, but it is layered as it connects two generations, two roles, and two very different Wades who happen to share the same last name and have shared the same crest, yet are so different.

Even though the announcement of his name brings back memories that Dwyane would prefer to forget, Dean seems at ease in Cleveland in contrast to his uncomfortable and dissonant stay there. This clearly reminds fans that while names may repeat in the NBA, repeating legacies is not as straightforward, and a difficult period for a legendary individual does not jeopardize the entire narrative they have built after years of hard work and dedication.