Fighting back tears, Dwyane Wade thanks Heat Nation before final home game

Dwyane Wade walked to center court, microphone in hand.

Reality started to sink in.

This is it. In a few, short moments, he was about to play the final home game of his Hall of Fame career. His “One Last Dance” is nearing its end.

Holding back tears, trying to stay in the moment, trying to remain calm, Wade scanned the crowd at a packed AmericanAirlines Arena — a scene reminiscent of an NBA Finals series. As fans chanted “MVP,” Wade began to speak.

“I love y’all, man,” Wade said.

Sixteen NBA seasons — 14 and half with the Miami Heat — built up to this moment, Dwyane Wade’s final salute in front of his hometown crowd on Tuesday night before playing the Philadelphia 76ers, an eventual 122-99 win in which Wade scored a game-high 30 points.

A career that includes three NBA championships, 13 All-Star appearances and a host of Heat franchise records, made its final stop at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Soak it in. Miami might not have another Dwyane Wade again.

“Tonight, I want our guys playing for something other than themselves,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game. “I want them to play for someone else and find the gratification that can come out of that.”

And even though Tuesday night was about Wade, his legacy, his imprint, he made it clear that he didn’t do this on his own.

He turned to his teammates. He mentioned each by name, along with former teammates Wayne Ellington, Tyler Johnson and Rodney McGruder.

Wade adapted to a new role over the last year and a half. The face of the franchise came off the bench. He became the mentor to a young core that will serve as the team’s future.

“I thank you guys for dancing with me this year,” Wade said. “I thank y’all for your patience this year. I thank y’all for the love.”

Miami is thankful for his career, one it relived before Tuesday’s game.

A five-minute montage narrated by some of those closest to Wade — Spoelstra, Pat Riley, his wife Gabrielle Union, former teammates Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James, current teammate and “brother” Udonis Haslem — showcased the three acts of No. 3’s illustrious NBA career.

Act 1: Taking the league by storm. The kid from Chicago, the No. 5 overall pick out of Marquette, quickly establishing himself as a rising shooting guard in the game. The opening act came to a close after he led the Heat to its first NBA Championship in 2006.

Act 2: The rise to prominence, a time that included two NBA Championship, the Big 3 era in Miami and a period when Wade became “one of the most respected athletes” in the game.

Act 3: His return to Miami, to the team he helped build, to the opportunity to close out his career on his own terms where it all started.

“I’m thankful for this moment,” Wade said. “I’m thankful for this entire season.”

Midway through his pre-game speech, one that had the crowd alternating between silent appreciation and full out raucous, one random voice rang out clear as day from the stands and summed up the night.

“We love you Wade,” a fan shouted.

That sentiment likely won’t fade away any time soon.

This story was originally published April 9, 2019 at 8:44 PM.

Jordan McPherson

Miami Herald

305-376-2129

Jordan McPherson covers the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Panthers for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and covered the Gators athletic program for five years before joining the Herald staff in December 2017.