Erik Spoelstra Sends Strong Message About Dwyane Wade

Getty Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat talks with head coach Erik Spoelstra prior to the final regular season home game of his career against the Philadelphia 76ers

Dwyane Wade was drafted fifth overall by the Miami Heat in 2004. At the time, Wade looked to be a solid prospect for the Heat following his college career at Marquette University. However, it’s unlikely that many predicted that the guard would get a street named after him, but now if you attend a Heat game in Miami, you take Dwyane Wade Blvd. to get there. A street named after him is just one of many accolades for the 13-Time All-Star, and now the three-time NBA champion is looking for another after being nominated for the 2023 class of the Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Wade is expected to make it in the hall in his first year of eligibility, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told the media how exciting that was on December 21. 

“I can’t wait for it because we all know how Dwyane is,” Spoelstra said. “He’s going to throw a party that’s going to be one for the ages. I’ve only been to the Hall of Fame twice, for [team president Pat Riley’s] party, which was unbelievable … [Chris Bosh’s] was incredible, and it was cool just to get the whole gang back together. I think this will take it to a whole another level.”

Spoelstra noted that while he does have some pre-existing summer engagements, he’ll move them because the Wade enshrinement and the ensuing party is a can’t miss. 

“I know I do have some summer engagements, but I ain’t missing it,” Spoelstra said. “I’ll fly back from wherever I have to fly back to for that weekend.” 

Dwyane Wade on Time With the Heat

Earlier this summer, Dwyane Wade talked about some of his time with the Heat. Head coach Erik Spoelstra shared the comments about Wade’s Hall of Fame potential, but Wade discussed a time with the Heat before the big three and before Spoelstra took over when discussing the impact trading for Shaquille O’Neal made on his career on an episode of the “Point Forward” podcast with Evan Turner and Andre Igoudala. 

“When Shaq came, it really inserted that level of confidence in me that I could be one of the greats. I mean, I needed somebody that was a great to be able to show me what it’s like to be great. When Shaq says, you’re going to be one of the greats, I don’t need no more juice than that,” Wade said.

Dwyane Wade on All-75 Honor

Before Wade was nominated for the Basketball Hall of Fame, he was included among the NBA’s All 75 team of players considered to be in the top 75 to ever play the game. Wade also discussed what that honor meant to him in the same episode of the Point Forward Podcast. 

“I didn’t know it. I didn’t know it was gonna be. We all want to do well individually, but I’ve never like played sports for the individual. I’ve always played from what I fell in love with it, with the team aspect. I’ve always been okay with like not getting an award. I remember when I was trying to get MVP one year, and I was going off for Defensive Player of the Year the same year in ’08, and I came in third in both of them,” Wade shared.

“They just proved to me again that individual awards meant nothing, and so the 75 was probably the first time since then that I really cared about something individually.”