Dwyane Wade
Six-time NBA All-Star never has forgotten his Southland roots
March 1, 2010
BY CHRIS KUCHTA, Correspondent
When it comes to giving back to the community, it’s h ard to find any current athlete who does it better than Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. The man known these days simply as “D-Wade” has become the poster boy in recent years for guys who always remember where they came from.
And where Wade came from is Richards High School.
The NBA superstar with the Miami Heat graduated from the Oak Lawn school in 2000 and since has left a physical presence at his alma mater that won’t be forgotten any time soon.
In 2007, Wade donated funds for the Bulldogs to install a new scoreboard, floor and sound system in their gym.
Since then, he routinely has donated shoes and equipment to both the boys and girls basketball teams.
And if you haven’t figured it out by now, the six-time NBA All-Star is the SouthtownStar’s choice as Richards’ greatest athlete.
Wade’s former coach at Richards, Jack Fitzgerald, has no trouble talking up his former charge.
“I can talk about that kid all day,” Fitzgerald said. “He was a coach’s dream. He really was. He liked to practice, which is rare for a lot of kids, and he was just a nice kid. Very coachable.
“He played back then basically with the same energy and passion he plays with now.”
When Wade, who grew up in Robbins, first came to Richards there was little indication, if any, that he would become one of the best players in the professional ranks.
“His brother, Demetris McDaniel, was a star player for us at the time and he told me about his little brother who could really play,” Fitzgerald said. “Dwyane didn’t really play for us until his junior year, though. I brought him up for the playoffs at the end of his sophomore year, but that was about it.
“But he shot up to about 6-foot-2, 6-foot-3 during that junior year and that’s where he really began to take off. Honestly, I think he had maybe one bad game the entire time he played for us.”
Despite an outstanding season, Wade finished seventh in the voting for Illinois Mr. Basketball his senior year and was recruited by only DePaul, Marquette and Illinois State.
He chose Marquette, and eventually led the Golden Eagles to the Final Four of the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
It was at that Final Four when Fitzgerald began to realize his former star had the capability to do things beyond either of their wildest dreams.
“When I saw how much Marquette had built him up and just how big and strong he was, it became clear he was going to be something real special,” Fitzgerald said.
In September, Wade participated in an episode of the ESPN feature series “Homecoming,” hosted by columnist Rick Reilly. Once again, he remembered his roots.
“I bet if you go back through all the episodes of that show, there aren’t many guys who chose to have their episode shot at their high school,” said Fitzgerald, who also was interviewed for the program. “That just shows you what kind of guy he is.”
THE WADE FILE
Born: Jan. 17, 1982, in Chicago.
• Member of Richards High School Class of 2000.
• Basketball standout at Richards who also played football freshman and sophomore years.
• Averaged 27 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs his senior season.
• Set single-season school record for points (676) and steals (106) in 1999-2000.
• Led team to 24-5 record and berth in Class AA Eisenhower Sectional final as a senior.
• Played college basketball at Marquette University. Led Golden Eagles to 2003 Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
• Selected fifth overall by the Miami Heat in the 2003 NBA draft.
• Led Heat to 2006 NBA title, earningNBA Finals MVP.
• Six-time NBA All-Star.
• 2008 Olympic gold medalist.
• 2009 NBA scoring champion.
• MVP of the 2010 NBA All-Star Game.
• Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year for 2006.
