A rundown of the weekend the Heat has planned for Dwyane Wade. And all the ticket info.
While most players get a one-day jersey retirement, Dwyane Wade is getting a three-day party.
But the retired Heat guard is different than most players. Wade is considered the greatest player in franchise history based on sustained success with the organization and, arguably, the greatest athlete in South Florida sports history.
Wade, who spent all but one full season of his 16-year NBA career in Miami, is the Heat’s all-time leader in categories like points, games played, minutes played, assists and steals and is considered one of the top shooting guards in NBA history. Among his most impressive accomplishments: Three championships with the Heat (2006, 2012, 2013), a Finals MVP award in 2006 and an NBA scoring title in the 2008-09 season.
“That’s how much we think of Dwyane,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the three-day celebration, which has been labeled as a “L3GACY Celebration.” “... We feel that it’s a celebration of greatness, of an ultimate champion and essentially the modern face of our franchise.”
The three-days of events to celebrate Wade’s career begin Friday at AmericanAirlines Arena with “The Flashback” at 8 p.m. to “honor Wade’s impact on NBA basketball, the Miami Heat and the South Florida community.”
The Heat announced Thursday there are a limited allotment of tickets for sale in the 400 level for “The Flashback” event. Tickets are on sale for $3, with all proceeds benefiting the Wade Family Foundation.
What else is happening this weekend?
▪ The festivities continue Saturday when Wade’s No. 3 jersey will be retired during a halftime ceremony in the middle of the Heat’s home matchup against the Cavaliers. Wade will become the fifth Heat player to have his jersey retired, joining Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Bosh.
As of Friday morning, limited tickets were still available for Saturday’s Cavaliers-Heat game.
Secondary market prices are averaging $602 per seat for Saturday’s contest, 179 percent higher than the Heat’s overall home average for the season, according to TicketIQ. The average list price is the third-highest for any jersey retirement game since TicketIQ starting tracking data in 2010, behind only Kobe Bryant’s jersey retirement in 2017 ($1,477) and Paul Pierce’s jersey retirement in 2018 ($910).
▪ The celebration ends Sunday with an exclusive screening of Wade’s documentary, “D. Wade: Life Unexpected,” at 3:30 p.m. at AmericanAirlines Arena before it airs on ESPN at 9 p.m. that same day. The documentary chronicles Wade’s NBA career and life off the court as he went through various personal and professional challenges, and Wade will be in attendance Sunday for a pre-screening discussion. Fans will have the opportunity to take a photo with his retired jersey banner.
The screening will be hosted in the arena’s lower bowl and is open to the public, but capacity is limited. As of Friday morning, tickets were still available for $3, and there’s a four-ticket maximum with proceeds benefiting the Wade Family Foundation.
Wade’s entire NBA career is sure to be covered this weekend. From Wade’s rookie season in 2003-04 with Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Eddie Jones and Brian Grant, to the 2006 NBA championship playing alongside O’Neal, to the Big 3 championships in 2012 and 2013 with LeBron James and Bosh, to his breakup with the Heat in 2016 before returning in 2018.
“D. Wade has done so much for this organization, for the culture, for the city,” said Heat wing Jimmy Butler, who has developed a close friendship with Wade. “When you think of the Miami Heat, that’s one individual you definitely think of. So to be able to witness the great things that he has done for the organization, I think it’s great for him and I’m happy that I get to see him and hang around him a little bit more. But that guy, he defines the Heat culture.”
The Heat carved out an entire weekend to celebrate Wade. But Wade believes the party will be even longer when his longtime Heat teammate and close friend Udonis Haslem retires.
Wade and Haslem began their NBA careers together in the 2003-04 season, and Haslem is still playing with the Heat in his 17th season. Haslem, 39, has hinted at the possibility of retiring at the end of this season, but the Miami native has yet to commit to that decision.
“When he’s ready, I don’t know when that day is going to be, when he’s ready, we’re going to have not three days,” Wade said of Haslem. “We’re going to have a whole week of UD in Miami. So, we’re going to celebrate.”
For the next few days, though, the Heat will celebrate Wade. This is his time.
“It’s going to be a phenomenal weekend,” Spoelstra said. “I’m looking forward to seeing Dwyane. We’ve kept in touch, but he’s probably more busy now than he was last year. But it’s going to be a really fun couple days to honor somebody that’s truly the face of the franchise. I’m looking forward to it.”
This story was originally published February 21, 2020 at 12:32 PM.
