Getty Dwyane Wade
With Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade set to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, multiple former teammates of his congratulated him for his upcoming induction via the Heat’s official Twitter account on August 10. This included multiple former Boston Celtics players who played with Wade during his time with the Heat.
A teammate. A friend. A family member. Much love, @DwyaneWade ❤️ #WadeHOF
That included the following players:
-Shaquille O’Neal, who said, “I knew it was coming before anybody else.” O’Neal played with Wade from 2004 to 2008, then played for the Celtics during the 2010-11 season.
-James Posey, who praised Wade for giving “all (his) blood, sweat, and tears that (he) put into this game, along with that 7% body fat.” Posey played with Wade from 2005 to 2007, then joined the Celtics the following season.
-Gary Payton, who congratulated Wade for joining his fellow Heat alumni in the Hall of Fame, saying, “You with me now. Me, you, Shaq, and Alonzo (Mourning), man. We together, baby. Welcome to the crew.” Payton played for the Celtics during the 2004-05 season, then played with Wade from 2005 to 2007.
-Joel Anthony, who told Wade, “It’s been amazing getting a chance to play with you for so many years, and I appreciate everything that you’ve done for this game.” Anthony played with Wade from 2007 to 2014, then was traded to the Celtics that same year.
-Kelly Olynyk, who praised Wade’s accomplishments, saying, “Hall of Fame and the resume. That’s big-time, bro.” Olynyk played for the Celtics from 2013 to 2017, then played with Wade in Miami from 2018 to 2019.
-Josh Richardson, who singled out Wade’s impact on Miami and the NBA itself, saying, “The city of Miami loves you, and the whole NBA community loves you and is happy for you.” Richardson played with Wade during the 2015-16 season, then again from 2018 to 2019. He then played for the Celtics during the 2021-22 season.
Paul Pierce & Dwyane Wade Trade Barbs
With Wade’s induction on the way, Celtics legend Paul Pierce questioned how legitimate Wade’s legacy was by bringing up the teammates he played with during the July 21 episode of “The Cam’Ron Show.”
“Put Shaq (O’Neal) on my team. Put LeBron (James) and (Chris) Bosh with me. I’m not gonna win one?” Pierce said. “Put me, LeBron, and Bosh… we not gonna win a couple?”
Wade responded on August 8, though he did not necessarily debate the topic as much he mocked Pierce for bringing it up while on “The Dan Le Batard Show.”
“Rent is expensive and I’m living rent free…it’s documented, I don’t need to say anything…I went and got my Avengers…”
– @DwyaneWade finally responds to Paul Pierce’s comments on who in fact had the better career. 😂 #HeatCulture
📺 t.co/UYp07snQ73
🎙️…
“Listen, rent is expensive in America, and I’m living rent-free right now,” Wade said. “So let him keep going. I like living rent-free.”
Wade added that deciding who is better is in the eye of the beholder.
“It’s documented,” Wade said. “I don’t need to say anything. Everything is documented. So, I’ll let you guys go ahead and talk about all that stuff. It sounds better coming from y’all than me.”
Dwyane Wade Calls Jayson Tatum One of His Favorite Players
While talking with Sports Illustrated’s Bobby Krisvitsky on July 27, Wade explained why Jayson Tatum stands out to him.
“He’s one of my favorite players in the NBA. He’s one of my favorite people in the NBA to communicate with, to talk with, to do anything with, and I want to see him get everything he wants from the game,” Wade said.
Wade stressed that Tatum must be patient with himself to make the progress he needs.
“You’ve got to have patience with it as well. Your career doesn’t look like someone else’s; it just doesn’t. And so, his biggest obstacle next year is showing up next year; getting back to work and getting back to the grind, getting back to the day-to-day. Put your best foot forward. And you know what, if you get an opportunity again, hopefully, the results can be different for you.”