Dwyane Wade’s sportswear brand gets jolt of youth and stardom with newest signee
Dwyane Wade could not have found a better successor.
The future Hall of Famer officially signed Golden State Warriors guard D’Angelo Russell to his Way of Wade brand. Wade talked about “passing the torch” Thursday morning in an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report Kicks.
“I see the way you move and the way that you like to do things and it’s very similar to the way I move,” the former Miami Heat guard told Russell.
Rumors of Russell joining Way of Wade have swirled for more than a month. New York Times reporter Marc Stein tweeted in mid-October that the 23-year-old was close to signing a “lucrative deal” that would make him a brand ambassador. Russell’s Nike shoe deal was set to expire this Fall, according to ESPN’s Nick DePaula.
After previous stints with Converse and Jordan Brand, Wade partnered with Chinese apparel company Li-Ning to create the line in 2012. Their relationship reached new heights when the 13-time All-Star signed a lifetime contract with Li-Ning in July 2018.
With Udonis Haslem and Glen Robinson III the only notable names on the Way of Wade roster, Russell’s presence brings a much-needed jolt of youth and stardom. Russell made his first All-Star team last season in which averaged career highs in points, assists and steals with the Brooklyn Nets. A sign-and-trade in the offseason sent him to the Warriors where he was off to a hot start prior to spraining his thumb in Friday’s 105-100 loss to the Boston Celtics.
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 12:31 PM.
