While retired Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade isn’t yet eligible for election to the Hall of Fame, he has been recognized by that storied institution.
On Thursday, he was one of two new people added to the Hall’s Board of Trustees.
The 37-year-old Wade completed his 16th and final NBA season in April, playing the vast majority of his career with the Heat. During his more than 14 years of wearing a Heat jersey, the franchise won all three of their league titles, with Wade being awarded the MVP for his stellar performance in the 2006 NBA Finals.
The duties of a member of the Board of Trustees follow those of the Hall of Fame’s screening committee, who review and select nominees:
“After the vote of the Screening Committees, the Finalists will first be reviewed by the BHOF Board of Trustees. At this time, should it be determined by the Board of Trustees that a Finalist has damaged the integrity of the game of basketball, he/she shall be deemed not worthy of Enshrinement and removed from consideration.”
Players are eligible for induction after they’ve been fully retired from play for at least three years, which would mean, barring a comeback, that Wade will become eligible for the Hall in 2022. Obviously, if he remains on the Board at that point, he’ll have to abstain from any vote, but it’s clear that his career both on and off the court made him an automatic selection years ago.
Wade will join three other former NBA players on the 31-person board: Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Steve Smith and Kiki VanDeWeghe. The remainder of the board is comprised in part of people connected to basketball from areas such as coaching, front office or league-oriented duties. In addition, executives from the business world as well as James P. Naismith, grandson of the game’s founder, are also included.