Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. was born on January 17, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois to Dwyane Sr. and Jolinda Wade. His parents later divorced and he lived with his father and stepmother during his childhood. At the age of 8, his life changed when his sister, Tragil, then 13, put Dwyane on a bus headed to the suburb of Robbins, Illinois. Tragil returned to Chicago, but Dwyane stayed in Robbins with his father. His father had remarried, and Dwyane took a liking to his new home, new family, and new friends. Of his new friends, one, Siohvaughn Funches, would later become his first and only serious girlfriend, and ultimately, his wife.
Siohvaughn was a year older than Dwyane, and when Dwyane reached high school, she noticed him immediately. They soon began dating, remained sweethearts through high school, and eventually would go to senior prom together. They were later engaged and Dwyane continued to fulfill his basketball career. Meanwhile, Siohvaughn remained in school throughout her pregnancy, and on February 4th , 2002, gave birth to a baby boy, Zaire Blessing Dwyane Wade. |
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Wade attended H.L. Richards High School in Oaklawn, Illinois, playing for the Bulldogs. During his sophomore year, he did not have much playing time. Instead, his stepbrother, Demetris McDaniel, was the star of the team. Before his junior year, however, Wade grew four inches and proceeded to average 20.7 points and 7.6 rebounds during the season and gained a total of 100 assists and 73 steals. Wade continued to dominate the court during his senior year and averaged 27.0 points and 11 rebounds. He helped his team to a season record of 24-5 and a title in the Class AA Eisenhower Sectional. He broke the school record for points (676) and steals (106) in a single season. In 2000, he was number 7 in the voting for the Illinois Mr. Basketball Award. |
Although only three schools recruited him, Wade played collegiately played in Milwaukee for Marquette University. In his first year at Marquette, Wade was not able to play because of academic issues. In the 2001-2002 season during his sophomore year, however, he led the Golden Eagles in scoring with 17.8 points, averaged 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. His presence led Marquette to a 26-7record- the best record for the school since the 1993-1994 season. In 2003, Wade led in scoring again with 21.5 points per game and Marquette won the school's first and only Conference USA championship with a 27-6 record. Marquette was then able to appear in the Final Four since their 1977 championship. During their game against the Kentucky Wildcats, Wade recored a rare triple-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, including 4 blocks and a steal to win the game. He was only the fourth player in NCAA Men's Tournament history to record a triple double. Marquette finshed the season ranked 6th in the AP poll, the school's highest ranking since the 1976-1977 season. |
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In 2003, Wade was selected fifth overall by the Miami Heat in the NBA draft pick. In his rookie sesaon, he quickly emerged as a star and averaged better than 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. He led the Heat to the playoffs and further distinguished himself against the Indian Pacers in the semifinals. Wade's success was somewhat overshadowed by the favorite rookies, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. However, Wade earned a selection to the 2004 NBA All-Rookie team and finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting.
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