Dwyane Wade has always pursued championships in basketball, and the latest endeavor for the Miami Heat great will have him doing so as a partial owner of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky.
BREAKING: NBA legend Dwyane Wade is officially joining the Chicago Sky ownership group, he tells ESPN, becoming the latest high-profile figure to invest in the league at a pivotal juncture in its 27-year history. pic.twitter.com/YDAYglhKO9
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) July 14, 2023
It’s an incredible feeling being on this side of history. To see growth, on the business side, for something that I’ve been passionate about my whole life is an amazing feeling. There are amazing things happening in the @WNBA. It’s official! This is for the home team– literally.… pic.twitter.com/lsvQovpj5z
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) July 14, 2023
A three-time NBA champion as a player for the Heat, Wade is a native of Chicago and went to high school in the city’s suburbs. The 41-year-old will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in August, and he is the latest high-profile figure to join a WNBA ownership group with the league searching for stability and exposure.
“We all talk about support, and support looks different for everyone,” Wade told ESPN. “And so instead of tweeting out and saying ‘go support the W,’ instead of showing up at the game and supporting, I wanted to take it to that next level, and this was the next level for me.
“It’s a great opportunity to be a part of the league in its very early stages. … Growth is going to happen, and so I want to be a part of the growth of this league.”
Wade teamed up with Shaquille O’Neal to help Miami win its first NBA championship in 2006. He later combined with LeBron James and Chris Bosh to add titles in 2012 and 2013.
The Sky were founded prior to the 2006 season and won their first WNBA championship in 2021 but have since lost key players Candace Parker and Courtney Vandersloot as free agents. They are 8-12 so far this season with Michael Alter as their principal owner.
“Wade’s investment is subject to approval from the WNBA Board of Governors,” ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported. “His exact ownership percentage has not been disclosed.”
Wade, who is also part of the Utah Jazz ownership group, has been popping up in the news recently with his takes on the NBA. He claimed that James’ foot injury last season was a blessing in disguise for the Los Angeles Lakers and that his former teammate’s time with L.A. is not comparable to Michael Jordan’s end-of-career stint with the Washington Wizards.
Wade also said that if he were James, he would not have rejoined the Cleveland Cavaliers following the infamous letter written by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert when James left for the Heat.
In another statement, Wade said he himself would be part of the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) conversation and still playing if not for the injuries he suffered. As it was, he played 16 NBA seasons, his first 13 with the Heat, in a career that ended in 2019 and got him named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
He is now among a group of former champions in WNBA ownership that includes Tom Brady, Alex Rodriguez and Magic Johnson.
Perhaps Wade’s pedigree will rub off on the Sky, allowing them to return to their recent championship heights.
