Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
WADE’S TEAM DREAM
Heat star wants to be part of ownership group.
MIAMI — There was a point when Dwyane Wade was considered solely a Heat Lifer.
Then, after spending the first 13 seasons of his NBA career with the Miami Heat, he moved on to his hometown Chicago Bulls in 2016 and alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the start of last season.
Now, amid the uncertainty of a Wade return to the Miami Heat next season, the South Florida icon is floating the possibility of aligning with a fourth NBA franchise — one that is dormant, much, seemingly, to Wade’s consternation.
In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Wade, 36, who will become a free agent July 1, discussed what eventually might come in his career.
“I definitely want to be a part of ownership in the NBA,” he said, already ingrained in the business world through his sneaker, apparel, luggage, watch and wine lines, along with other endorsements and projects. “I’m not going to try to buy a team. I don’t have that kind of bread, but I definitely want to be a part of a great ownership group.
“NBA Commissioner Adam Silnext
ver is all about players being involved in an ownership capacity. You’ve got players like Grant Hill involved in the Atlanta Hawks. Shaquille O’Neal is involved in the Sacramento Kings. It’s definitely something that I’ve talked about, some of my friends have talked about. But, first of all, I’d have to be retired.”
Heat President Pat Riley last week offered a standing invitation for Wade to return for next season, after Wade was traded back to the Heat by the Cavaliers in February.
“We want to have Dwyane back obviously,” Riley said, “but there’s been no discussion about next year.”
Asked about his preferred location for an NBA ownership stake, Wade spoke about neither his Chicago hometown nor his adopted South Florida home.
“Seattle,” he said. “I want Seattle’s team, the Sonics, to come back. I think Seattle is a great basketball town. I would love to be a part of that.”
The SuperSonics entered the NBA in Seattle as an expansion team in 1967, playing there until their 2008 move to Oklahoma City, when they were rebranded the Thunder.
During the recently completed NBA Finals, Commissioner Adam Silver downplayed the possibility of near-term expansion.
“Expansion,” he said, “is not on our agenda right now.”
He then added, “But invariably, as I’ve said before, it’s only natural for any business to grow and expand at some point. So we’ll look back to expansion.”
Wade also touched on basketball during the televised interview.
“The greatest team I’ve ever played against was probably the San Antonio Spurs, with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili,” he said of the team the Heat defeated in the 2013 NBA Finals and then lost to in the ’14 Finals, after which James left the team in free agency. “They challenged you in so many ways with the mental part of the game. It goes way beyond basketball. Golden State does that. They challenge you mentally as well as physically. And they have more talent than everybody, as well.”
Wade said he has no issue with teams, such as the two-time defending champion Warriors, loading up with star talent.
“When the Miami Heat decided to bring the Big Three together — myself, LeBron James, Chris Bosh — in 2009 [actually 2010], the game changed,” he said. “Players understand their power. I don’t see that slowing down.”
Wade also inferred that he personally is beyond the super-team era, having endured an uneven ride alongside James the first half of this past season. His comment opened a window into his upcoming free agency not becoming another bid to align with stars elsewhere.
“Nobody’s calling me at 36, like, ‘Yo, we need you to come lay down this dynasty,’ ” he said. “But, obviously, you want to take down the champs, right? People who watch the sport can’t wait to see what’s going to happen this summer in free agency, because you want to see a team put together that can compete against a team like that.
“I’m watching. I’m a fan. I want to see a big splash this summer. I would love to see some guys team up.”