MIAMI, FL — Legendary Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade said he will have one “last dance” in the Magic City before ending his storied career with the NBA. Wade released an emotional YouTube video Sunday night, ending months of speculation as to whether he would return. The three-time NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist returned back to sun-drenched Miami from snowy Cleveland in February.
Saying it’s been a “tough summer” in the video posted on social media, Wade said he had to weigh whether he could physically handle a 16th season and whether it was in the best interest of his family.
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He described the tortuous decision-making process that he went through over the past four months as his voice filled with emotion.
“Can I physically get out of bed every day to do this? Can I deal with every step hurting in the morning? Can I deal with the travel? Can I be away from my family? Is it selfish of me wanting to continue to be away from my family? Can I miss my son’s games? Can I miss my son? Can I not be there in moments that they need me? Can I not read to my kids as much as I want? Can I not be there to support my wife? It’s all these things. And these things to you guys may seem small. But to me they’re real,” Wade explained.
“I’ve always did things my way,” added Wade, who is expected to sign a $2.4 million, one-year deal later this week. “Whether they’ve good or whether they’ve been bad, I got here because I’ve done things the way that I feel is right for me and right for my family. And what I feel is right,” Wade said. “I feel it’s right to ask you guys to join me for one last dance, for one last season.”
Wade is Miami’s career leader in points, assists, steals and games played. His status was an enormous question mark this summer, especially now with the team a week away from going to training camp. Miami has signed 19 players for camp, one shy of the maximum preseason allotment, and it was never a question why they kept that last spot open.
It’s filled now, by the most accomplished Heat player ever. Yet it was no guarantee that Wade, a 22.5-point scorer for his career, would return.
His decision took longer than some expected, partly because he was deciding what he wanted to do, partly because he was dealing with some personal business and some family business, and partly because it took him and the Heat some time to figure out what made sense for both sides. A person familiar with Wade’s thinking told The Associated Press that the guard was strongly considering retirement until late last week, when Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and others made a late push to help him decide.
Whatever they said worked. Wade apparently found his answers.
“I feel like my family has put me first for so many years, for good reasons. But there comes a point in time when we’ve all got to think about someone else, especially the ones around you that have supported you, supported your dreams, supported your journey like my family have,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat takes a shot over T.J. McConnell #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on April 24, 2018 in Philadelphia. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)