{"id":514574,"date":"2016-10-26T17:49:37","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T21:49:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=514574"},"modified":"2016-10-26T17:49:37","modified_gmt":"2016-10-26T21:49:37","slug":"interview-dwyane-wade-talks-not-getting-jordans-growing-legacy-way-wade-1-retro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/interview-dwyane-wade-talks-not-getting-jordans-growing-legacy-way-wade-1-retro\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview \/\/ Dwyane Wade Talks Not Getting Jordans Growing Up, His Legacy & Way of Wade 1 Retro"},"content":{"rendered":"
words & interview \/\/ Darren Griffin<\/p>\n
After 13 years, three NBA championships, 12 All-Star appearances and standing as the all-time leading scorer in franchise history, it was widely assumed the Pat Riley and the Miami Heat front office would offer up Kobe-like sums to ensure Dwyane Wade<\/strong> finished his Hall of Fame career in South Beach. They didn’t. Instead, Wade opted for a unique opportunity to return to his roots to play for his hometown Chicago Bulls.<\/p>\n He did so to the tune of $47.5 million over two years, almost $8 million more per year than the Heat were willing to offer. But the 34-year old shooting guard didn’t just return home for a paycheck – not even close. It’s always been a dream of his to play for the professional team in the city that raised him. He sees it realized after already achieving everything most NBA players could ever imagine.<\/p>\n Dwyane Wade is among the rare professional athletes hardly criticized for movement late in his career. Instead, his decisions stand as a stage of his continued evolution, much like his departure from the cozy confines of Jordan Brand to the then unchartered waters of Li-Ning. We recently talked to Dwyane in Chicago during his Coming Home event about growing up in Chicago, his legacy and, of course, the release of the Way of Wade 5.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Snkrs Day: How was your overall basketball experience growing up in Chicago?<\/strong><\/p>\n Dwyane Wade:<\/strong> For me it was get in where you can fit in. Any court that you could get on, no matter rain, sleet or snow, you played. I didn’t always have hats and gloves and stuff but I figured it out. You just make things happen. You keep your hands covered until you get that ball, then when you get that ball, you get out there and play.<\/p>\n I grew up with two brothers – one was two years older than me and the other was one year older than me. We always played against each other and together. We went to places with a couple of friends so we always had our five. It was cool to feel like we always has our group, our team. We played outside a lot. I didn’t play inside much at all until I got to high school.<\/p>\n Snkrs Day: Was it always safe for you guys outside?<\/strong><\/p>\n Dwyane Wade:<\/strong> [Laughs<\/em>]\u00a0It was safe enough. I mean, I’m here. There were certain neighbors at certain times you knew it was time to get off the court. And there were certain times where you’d hear shooting and you knew it was time to go. But that’s just what we did; basketball was a way of life for us so we would play anywhere we could. Then once I got a little older and went to Richards High School we played on their courts and others courts out in Oak Lawn which was obviously a lot safer.<\/p>\n Snkrs Day: Chicago clearly shaped your game and your sense of style. What were some of your favorite sneakers growing up? Did you have any of them?<\/strong><\/p>\n Dwyane Wade:<\/strong> Well, that’s the thing: I never had any of my favorites sneakers growing up. I was a Bulls Jordan fan so I was a Jordan sneaker lover from afar. I cried when I couldn’t get the Jordan 11s. Like, cried real tears. But, you know, I really wasn’t exposed to too much beyond that. I did love a lot of signature sneakers.\u00a0Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen. There were so many dope signature shoes back in the day. But, umm, I was never exposed to having any of them.<\/p>\n