NBA legend Dwyane Wade was officially inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2023.
During his speech on Saturday night, Wade reflected back on his life and what got him to that moment. In a touching moment, Wade asks his father, sitting in the crowd, to stand up so he can address him directly.
“I started this off thanking you, and I want to end it the same way,” he began. “I owe you a debt of gratitude that I’ll never be able to repay.”
DWade invited his dad on stage during his @Hoophall induction speech.
"We in the Hall of Fame, dawg" 🧡
📺: The #23HoopClass Enshrinement is live on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/XlM4I36Pki
— NBA (@NBA) August 13, 2023
The father of four described how his father working with him greatly impacted his success.
“When I would cry and say I can’t, you made me go harder. You pushed me to limits that I didn’t know were inside of me,” D-Wade continued. “The hard work I put in was because I didn’t want to let you down. Those countless hours in the backyard where we could compete against each other like strangers, it built me to last. Those days that turned into late nights of me working on my left hand, so it was just as good as my right; it made me an unstoppable force.”
In a humorous moment, Wade shared a personal story about his father getting kicked out of one of his games only to sneak back in. The anecdote drew laughter from the crowd.
“That time you got kicked out of the game as my coach and snuck back in the side door and coached me from the stands, just to get kicked out again,” he said. “It showed me there was no limitations on how you would show up for me.”
He explained that his father’s example is what he uses when parenting his own children.
“Even though I hated being called ‘Little Dwyane,'” Wade said, “I admired you as a kid. I admire you now.”
“We had the same exact dream, and we carried the same exact name… To know we hustled all the way to the Basketball Hall of Fame is God’s will. So, pops, I know your knees a little sore, but will you join me on stage as we take our rightful step into basketball heaven?”
Wade’s father walked to the stage to thunderous applause.
“This one right here,” he said. “This one is for my father. I love you, and I’m thankful for you.”
“We in the Hall of Fame, dawg!” Wade exclaimed before he and his father broke into huge grins. The crowd erupted into a huge round of applause.
Aside from Wade, the star-studded class of 2023 included Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Gasol, Tony Parker, Becky Hammon, Gregg Popovich, Jim Valvano, David Hixon, Gary Blair, Gene Bess, Gene Keady, and the entire 1976 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team.
