Dwyane Wade

American basketball star Dwyane Wade rose from humble beginnings to become one of the top athletes in the world. A native of Chicago, Illinois, he grew up on the city's crime ridden South Side, bouncing between his parents as a youngster. Initially unheralded as a high school basketball player, he experienced a growth spurt before his junior year and began gaining notice. His academic struggles still kept most colleges from recruiting him.

He eventually agreed to attend Marquette University to play for head coach Tom Crean. He was forced to sit out his freshman year to become academically eligible, but afterwards he quickly made his mark on the college game. The shooting guard lead the Golden Eagles to a 53-13 record during his two seasons, averaging 19.7 points per game. The team made the 2003 NCAA Final Four and his performance during the tournament put him on the NBA's radar.

He declared for the league's draft and was selected with the fifth overall pick by the Miami Heat. His draft class, which included fellow superstars LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh, would eventually become known as one of the best in NBA history. Just as in college, Wade would make his mark on the league almost immediately. He led the Heat into the playoffs and was named to the NBA's All-Rookie Team.

Before his second year in the league, Miami made a trade that brought Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal to the team. Wade made his first NBA All-Star team that season and led Miami to the Eastern Conference Finals. The next season, 2005-06, the guard and center teamed to lead the Heat to the franchise's first NBA Championship, defeating the Dallas Mavericks. Wade was named the MVP of the Finals, becoming one of the youngest players to be so honored.

In 2008, he teamed with James, Anthony, and Kobe Bryant to lead the USA basketball team to a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. He continued racking up All-Star appearances, and led the league in scoring in the 2009-10 season, but his teams didn't have the same level of success.

Prior to the 2010-11 season, James and Bosh agreed to join Miami as free agents. With Wade, they were quickly dubbed "The Big Three" and Miami became a threat to win a championship immediately. The trio reached the NBA Finals during their first season together, but eventually lost to Dallas. They fulfilled their promise the next year, however, defeating an Oklahoma City Thunder team that featured future perennial All-Stars Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.

Wade, who had battled knee issues throughout his career, began missing more time to injuries in the coming seasons. His teams still made four consecutive appearances in the Finals, winning another championship following the 2012-13 season. After James elected to leave Miami after the 2013-14 season, Wade continued to lead the Heat but injuries began to cut into his effectiveness.

He left Miami to join the Bulls in his hometown of Chicago for the 2016-17 season. He helped lead the team to the playoffs his first season, but that would be the high-water mark of his time back home. In 2017, after securing his release from Chicago, he rejoined James in Cleveland for part of the season. The reunion lasted mere months, however, and Wade was traded back to Miami in February 2018.

The guard played another season for the Heat, undertaking a victory tour that saw him honored throughout the year by opposing teams. Throughout his career, Wade became a pitchman for a number of products, including Nike, Gatorade, and Chinese shoe company Li-Ning. His marriage to actress Gabrielle Union significantly raised his profile beyond just basketball fans. Wade played his final NBA game on April 10, 2019.