Chicago Bulls: Dwyane Wade mum on future, talks fashion and LaVar Ball
Chicago Bulls superstar Dwyane Wade may be keeping silent about his future with the team, but he recently spoke out about things like his expanding fashion line and LaVar Ball.
Will Dwyane Wade remain a member of the Chicago Bulls, come the 2017-18 season?
That is still very much up in the air.
While the majority of basketball fans around the league believe he would be crazy to pass up a near $24 million contract, crazier things have happened in the NBA. And as for the superstar himself? Well, he has yet to give any real indication on his decision one way or another.
Following the team’s 4-2 playoff elimination by the Boston Celtics, the 35-year-old had this to say:
"“Myself, Gar, Pax, once they get all their information together, in the sense of direction of where they see the organization going, and who they see as a part of it, etcetera. Just sit down and go from there,” Wade told ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “…I’m in a good situation, whether there’s a lot of options or not. I’m in a very good situation to where as a player you can decide what you want to do.”"
However, what that is has yet to be determined.
But Wade has been very chatty about other subjects lately. The first of which continues to prove what a unique player the veteran truly is.
Having had an interest in fashion for some time now, Wade launched his own sneaker brand: Way of Wade. From there, he continued to dabble in the industry, expanding Way of Wade merchandise, designing socks for Stance and working with The Tie Bar.
And now, Wade has just taken things to an entirely new level by partnering with Amazon.
"“I’m excited, to say the least, Wade told Christine Flammia of Esquire. “Me and my team set out last year thinking, man, we do so many things with so many different partners. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a store where we could keep everything, a place we could call home? We pitched the idea, and Amazon was excited. A year later, I have a pop-up store on Amazon. I’m excited about this and hope we have success with it, and can grow it.”"
So what does Wade hope to accomplish next regarding his off-court ventures?
Well, he hopes to be the next Tom Ford.
"“I want to get to the next level, too. My goal is to be like Tom Ford. It’s not just clothes, it’s cologne, it’s accessories. I started by designing socks with Stance. I want to build an empire. It’d be a cool story if I could look back and say that it all started with a pair of socks.”"
Wade may very well be on his way to building that empire, but the same cannot be said for an infamous league-hopeful. Or rather, his father.
LaVar Ball, whose son Lonzo recently declared for the 2017 NBA Draft after playing just one year at UCLA, has caused quite a media frenzy over the last few weeks. Although teams should be focusing on Ball having averaged 14.6 points, 7.8 assists and 6.0 rebounds a game as a freshman, as well as his workouts, it is his father’s brand that has stolen the limelight.
On its own, Big Baller Brand has stirred the pot due to its inflated pricing and messaging. However, Ball’s marketing strategy is what has really left a poor taste in most people’s mouths.
Wade recently gave his own take on the brand though, and was surprisingly positive about the Ball family.
"“As an athlete, as a person who’s trying to build a brand, I understand the power of associating with certain brands, and I also understand the power of wanting to do it yourself,” Wade told Adi Joseph of For The Win. “It’s all about how it’s executed. A lot of people can say a lot of things about LaVar — they can’t say things about Lonzo; he hasn’t played yet, and he’s a good player, but — they could say a lot of things about LaVar. But at the end of the day, we’re all saying things about LaVar. He’s done that. He’s marketed himself.”"
Perhaps not in the best way, but he certainly has everyone’s attention.
Next: Chicago Bulls: 5 options for pick No. 38 in 2017 NBA Draft
Dwyane Wade may still not know what next year holds for him, but he should rest easy knowing that life after the game will be a breeze.