Late last year, Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat announced his impending retirement, effectively marking the completion of one of the most illustrious careers not only in professional basketball, but in all of sports period. His accolades are not limited to individual honors- which include 12x NBA all-star, scoring champion, 2x All-NBA First Team, and an iconic gold medal with the United States Olympic team, but rather what cements his legacy foremost are his three NBA championship rings. For the first he racked up a Finals MVP performance, besting the Dallas Mavericks starring Dirk Nowitzki. For the latter two, Wade joined forces with LeBron James and Chris Bosh, successfully forming one of the greatest super teams ever assembled. Together they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder headed by Kevin Durant and the very next year, San Antonio Spurs headlining a plethora of hall of famers under legendary head coach Gregg Popovich. His championship success has elevated him widely in popular belief as being a top 3 shooting guard only after legends Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. The attributes which make him such an enigma of a player, and what essentially allowed for him to accumulate his first ballot hall of fame worthy career, is his masterful footwork, impressive speed, and ability to close out in crunch time.

Dwyane Wade isn’t just great merely because of his ability to succeed, but that he succeeded through extenuating circumstances. He suffered a harsh childhood in the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, in which he came face to face with financial problems, coupled with gang violence and having to witness his mother battle against drugs. In the face of hardship he channeled his love of basketball in order to create a better life for himself. He rose through the ranks from high school phenom, to D1 star, to the fifth pick in the 2004 NBA draft, and to ultimately acquiring a hall of fame career. This summer, it will mark the end of Wade’s 18th season in the NBA. Wade will be sorely missed by his peers because of the impact he had on them. LeBron James, subsequent to his final game against his close friend and former teammate told ESPN,”Obviously, without D-Wade in my career, I wouldn’t be sitting here with this résumé that I have.” Wades undeniably unselfish style of play developed fondness in the hearts of his teammates for him no matter what team he played on. The fans of course, will miss Dwyane Wade to the greatest extent, because he brought his best every single year and it showed indubitably in the results he got for them. The slogan for his retirement, “ One Last Dance, “ is perfect not only because of what his style of play represents, but also because of what his personality does. He paved his own path through a combination of a flamboyant yet refreshing way of play, in conjunction with his lively and vibrant persona. Indeed, this is why he will be missed so much.