He may be nearing the finish line of his storied career, but that doesn’t stop Dwyane Wade from performing at a high level.
The day was Sept. 16, 2018. Having returned to the Miami Heat at the prior deadline after about a year and a half spent elsewhere, Dwyane Wade published a video on YouTube announcing his retirement following the conclusion of the 2018-19 season.
It was a somber time for those around the NBA world. Wade had grown up right before our very eyes, developing from the fifth overall pick in the famous 2003 NBA Draft to a three-time champion and one of the greatest shooting guards of all time.
There would be no more slick Euro-steps around opponents or getting even the best of defenders to bite on his pump fake. Worst of all, his No. 3 jersey would get put away for good up in the rafters. Every athlete is forced to retire at one point or another, but coming face-to-face with that inevitable decision for both the player themselves and their loyalists is something entirely different.
Having gone the route of Kobe Bryant instead of Tim Duncan with his announcement, Wade would embark on an emotional and memorable farewell tour around the league as a way to soak everything in one last time and to give both the fans and organizations an opportunity to pay their respects in whatever way they deemed fit.
Forever linked together as the greatest 2-guards of this era, there’s an interesting distinction, though, between the finals seasons of Wade and Bryant.
As a team incapable of even making the playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers were content putting their rebuilding plan on hold and letting their future Hall-of-Famer do as he pleased, taking the lion’s share of the shot attempts despite converting them with dreadful efficiency. This culminated in that glorious 60-points-on-50 shots outing in his final game.
This Heat team is different, just half a game out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and hellbent on getting there. They never intended to throw away the season, and while it’s kept Wade in a limited role, it’s also made his contributions a bit more meaningful.
He’s averaging 14.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds in just over 25 minutes a game on the season. Even at 37 years of age, this isn’t a dude who looks like he should be calling it quits. D-Wade still seems like he’s got some left in the tank, and he’s putting it all out there in a way that’s led to some pretty memorable moments and performances.
And then, Wednesday night happened. As he tends to do, Wade came up huge in the final seconds of Miami’s matchup with the Golden State Warriors with two clutch 3-pointers, the latter of which was a one-footed prayer that was answered by the basketball gods to give the Heat the victory.
Call it fate. Call it luck. Call it whatever you want. Wade’s been doing that kind of stuff for well over a decade now, and when that last shot kissed off the glass and went through the net, it was another fitting moment to add to the Hall of Fame ledger that is his career.
The final season for most NBA players is somewhat of a slog to the finish line, seeing as how their bodies have quickly deteriorated. Hell, a good amount of them don’t even know they’re done for good until the season’s over.
As sad as it is to see one of the truly all-time great players and people leave this great league, we’re lucky to be getting One Last Dance at all. Remember, Wade wasn’t a guaranteed lock to return following the Heat’s first round loss to the Philadelphia 76ers last postseason. He was very non-committal, but it seems as though he wanted to take one last victory lap around the NBA.
The Heat have 22 games left in their season. They may make the playoffs. They may not. Either way, you know Wade’s final games won’t be a slog of any sort. The sheer volume of the numbers won’t be there, but you just know he’ll find a way to be great. He did it when he was a rookie and when he won Finals MVP in 2006. All these years later, it hasn’t changed a bit.