COURTING HISTORY

NBA superstar Dwyane Wade is not only part of the first superteam of the century, he practically made it happen all by himself

By Sebastian del Marmol; Photography by Dania Graibe

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Dwyane Wade changed the landscape of professional sports this summer—not just for the Miami Heat and not just in the National Basketball Association. OK, so a few guys named LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Pat Riley had something to do with the creation of the first authentic superteam of the millennium. Three of the top 10 players in the league, in their primes, are finally playing on the same team. But make no mistake; it was D-Wade who was the fulcrum of this seismic shift, its epicenter.

In one masterstroke, Dwyane transformed what were once tired sport clichés about winning—there’s no “I” in team; you have to give 110% effort; it’s not all about the money—into truths. And they haven’t even played a single game yet. Dwyane and his teammates will face full-court pressure on and off the court, playing on a Heat team that will probably become the most hated, scrutinized and targeted team in NBA history. But he’ll unlikely regret what he gave up for this shot at basketball immortality. Dwyane sat down with SOBeFiT Magazine and revealed what led to the biggest decision of his professional life, which might just end up being one of the biggest moves in NBA history.

“The decision I made this summer pretty much determines where I am going to spend the rest of my career,” Dwyane explains, pointing out the fact that he will be 34 when it expires. “This contract could be my last.” If Dwyane was looking for the biggest payday, he would have signed a five-year deal with Miami when he first had the chance in 2006, and he certainly wouldn’t have lured James and Bosh to Miami. “Who wouldn’t want more money in the bank and more security? But that’s the whole thing about signing a three-year deal. I did it to make sure the team stayed competitive.”

Dwyane gives more insight into his decision and what he’s learned during his NBA career in the full interview that can be found in the September/October SPORTS issue of SOBeFiT Magazine. Pre-order your copy online today. On newsstands 8/24/2010.