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CNM HIGHLIGHT
wyane Wade
Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. is a guard for the Miami Heat. He’s a
eight-time NBA All-Star and the 2006 NBA Finals MVP, leading the Heat
to the NBA Championship over the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat selected
Wade with the 5th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft from Marquette
University. With the Golden Eagles, Wade recorded just the fourth triple
double in NCAA Tournament history against the Kentucky Wildcats in
the Midwest Regional Final. Wade won a gold medal as part of the 2008
United States Men’s Basketball Team in Beijing after taking home bronze
in 2004.
Professional Career
The Miami Heat selected Dwyane Wade with the 5th overall pick in the
2003 NBA Draft. As a rookie, he started 56 of the 61 games he played in, Dwyane Wade on the Jay Leno Show
averaging 16.2 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. He became
the first Miami Heat and just the 21st rookie in NBA history to earn Player
of the Week honors. Wade was a unanimous selection to the 2004 NBA sidelined with a knee injury, he exploded at the 2008 Summer Olympic
All-Rookie Team and finished third in the Rookie of the Year race behind Games in Beijing. He led Team USA in scoring (16.0 points) despite com-
LeBron Jamesand Carmelo Anthony. Wade helped lead the Heat into the ing off the bench in eight games as the U.S. captured the gold medal.
playoffs during his rookie season, averaging 18.0 points and 5.6 assists in Endorsements
13 postseason games. Before the start of his rookie season, Dwyane Wade signed an endorse-
ment deal with Converse. His contract started off at $500,000 a year but
On March 14, 2009, Wade scored 50 points in a triple-overtime win over was increased to $10 million a year after the 2005 NBA Playoffs. In 2009,
the Jazz, passingAlonzo Mourning as the Heat’s all-time leading scorer. Wade switched from Converse to Nike as part of the Jordan Brand. In
The next season was delayed by a lockout -- during which Wade at times 2007, Wade signed a deal with T-Mobile, which included the D-Wade Edi-
served as a vocal leader for the players. Despite missing time with inju- tion of the T-Mobile Sidekick telephone. He also has endorsement deals
ries, Wade made his eighth All-Star appearance, recording a triple-double with Staples, Gatorade, Topps and Lincoln.
in a losing effort for the Eastern Conference. Wade played a career-low 49 Personal
games during the shortened regular season, but still earned third-team All- Dwyane Wade was born on January 17, 1982 in Chicago, Ill. He was mar-
NBA honors. During the playoffs, Wade had to have his knee drained and ried to Siohvaughn Funches, his high school sweetheart, but the two di-
injuries and fatigue limited his effectiveness somewhat. He was still able vorced in 2007. Wade has two sons, Zaire and Zion. In February 2009,
to lead the Heat to a return trip to the NBA Finals, overcoming the Celtics Wade sued his estranged wife and two of her lawyers over accusations that
in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the NBA Finals, Wade he had contracted a sexually transmitted disease through an extramarital
averaged 22.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists, helping lead Miami affair. Siohvaughn withdrew the claim from her divorce case against Wade
to its second NBA championship, as the Heat beat the Oklahoma City for unknown reasons. In 2011, Wade won the protracted custody battle
Thunder in five games. with his ex-wife, as a Chicago court award him sole care, custody and
Olympic Career control of his two sons.
Dwyane Wade was a member of the United States Olympic team that won In 2003, Wade formed the Wade’s World Foundation, an organization that
the bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and the 2006 promotes education, health and social skills for children in at-risk situa-
FIBA World Championship in Japan. Coming off a season that saw Wade tions.
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