Wade talks about Heat, his message to Butler and where his interest in ownership stands
A year ago, Dwyane Wade spoke of his interest in becoming an NBA owner and told me that his preference would be to become part of the Heat’s ownership group.
Wade, whose jersey will be retired by the Heat during a three-day ceremony Feb. 21-23, said Tuesday that a potential Heat ownership role is something not in his immediate future but still a long-term possibility.
“When it comes to talking to the Arisons about ownership, we’ve definitely sat down and talked about what I wanted to do when the game was over with,” Wade said while speaking on a TNT conference call, days before he debuts as a studio analyst on TNT’s January-through-April Tuesday night NBA package.
“That is a conversation that will continue to be ongoing. Right now, as you guys know, my family and I moved to Los Angeles and I’m really involved in so many other areas of my life and I want to get that going. Basketball will be there. My ties to Miami will never go anywhere. When the opportunity makes sense and it’s right, then we will definitely sit down and have an even more in-depth conversation.”
Wade will join former Heat teammate Shaquille O’Neal, WNBA star Candace Parker and host Adam Lefkoe on the Tuesday package, which begins next week with Celtics at Heat (which will be announced by Brian Anderson and former Heat guard Jim Jackson) and Lakers-Clippers (with Ian Eagle and Stan Van Gundy on the call).
That means TNT’s Tuesday NBA games will feature three former Heat players and one former Heat coach.
Wade’s other responsibilities in his Turner deal include appearances on CBS and TNT coverage of the Final Four, projects for Bleacher Report and an agreement with Warner Media to undertake additional creative projects in conjunction with Wade’s 59th and Prairie Entertainment production company. He chose TNT’s package over an offer from ESPN.
Wade touched on the Heat during Tuesday’s call, noting: “We all are pleasantly surprised by the emergence of the Heat so soon, knowing Jimmy Butler [as] an All-Star player was coming in but not knowing what the younger guys would bring to the team and not knowing that Bam Adebayo would continue to emerge to the All Star level he has. It has been a pleasant surprise to all of us old heads that love the Miami Heat. We’re overjoyed and excited about where the team is and the future of the possibilities of where we can go.”
Did he think it would be this smooth a fit for Butler with the Heat?
“I think Jimmy has been very clear. Conversations that we had about Miami early on. There are certain people you just know are Miami Heat guys where you know the culture.
“I always thought Jimmy was that. I always thought Jimmy’s personality and his crazy was perfect for Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra’s crazy. So it’s great. One thing I told Jimmy when he got there is, ‘This is Jimmy Butler’s era. Don’t worry about people saying anything about Dwyane Wade. I’m old and retired and gone. You don’t have to worry about me anymore. Focus on what you’re trying to build with Miami in your time there. Don’t ever feel like you have to be me or anybody else that’s come before you. You just have to be Jimmy Butler.’
“He’s been great at being Jimmy Butler.”
What will it be like talking about contemporaries as a studio analyst?
“That’s the toughest part, one of the reasons like a guy like myself didn’t think about really going right into broadcasting because I didn’t want to talk about guys I just played with, guys I had great relationships with.
“I think it’s all about your perspective, how you answer questions, how you talk about someone’s performance. It’s all about how you respect as well. I’m going to try to be honest and really think about certain things and... knowing how I felt when certain guys said certain things about me.
“The good thing about me is I have great relationships with these guys… A lot of the guys have my phone number. It’s not me talking about guys I don’t know. I want to make sure I stay in it with the guys.
“If I’m going to continue to talk about the game I want to be able to continue to form a relationship with each individual but be able to give my perspective on the game and hopefully they won’t take it a certain way.
“I want to be honest but not really putting people down. I really look to uplift but also there are moments I will have to say things that are a little more uncomfortable and I will work through that. Having a team with Candace and Shaq and Adam, they will help me along the way when I have trouble with that. I will be leaning on my teammates a lot to navigate through how to work through that at certain times. I’m not going to try to sugercoat things.
“I am not perfect. I will make some mistakes. Constructive criticism is the way I will try to approach things.”
The Turner job isn’t Wade’s only new gig. Wade, 38, recently joined CAA, the agency that represented him as a player, and is heading up CAA AMP, a cultural strategy agency “designed to find new audiences and consumer engagement.”
Wade said: “A lot of athletes, the question is, ‘What are you going to do next? How are you going to fill the void?’ And you cannot fill the void of what you just got done doing in the game of basketball.... To be able to work with the Turner family very closely is something I’m very excited about. I can’t wait to get going. It’s that locker-room feel.”
Turner says there will be significant differences between the Tuesday studio approach and the award-winning Thursday program featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and O’Neal.
Among them: The Tuesday editions will have a heavy social media and lifestyle element, including a regular segment with the analysts “weighing in on the best fashion and style moments from the previous week.”
Also, Wade will “periodically celebrate individuals or groups that have been associated with a recent uplifting story that has gone viral.”
Instead of airing extensive highlights of all games, the postgame will focus on two or three games, with “quicker, tighter game recaps” of other games.
Wade, who retired in April after 16 seasons, said he respects what Barkley and Co. have built on their show but they don’t want to be a carbon copy.
Wade admitted there have been times “Chuck said things about me I did not like it. But there are times you look at yourself in the mirror and say ‘Chuck was actually right.’ ”
Turner executive Craig Barry said Wade’s approach is “very optimistic, very progressive, and I think the show will take that tone.”
The new Tuesday format replaces the dreadful Players Only concept, in which two or three former players called games without the presence of a professional, experienced play-by-play voice. The game telecasts should be significantly better; Eagle and Anderson are pros, Van Gundy did good work in ESPN’s studio last season and Jackson has extensive experience working college games for Fox.
Wade, who has always been thoughtful in his responses on many topics, seems like a natural for the studio show and he should have strong chemistry with O’Neal.
LAST WORD ON BANANA BOAT
Wade, asked about the legacy of the Banana Boat (the fun nickname given to himself, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony): “Our legacy is bigger than the game of basketball. Four individuals, when we first came into the game of basketball, everyone talked about players fraternizing. It was you had to hate each other to compete against each other.
“Four individuals, four black individuals as well, believe in more that’s bigger than the game of basketball. [Check] our community work. We have other things we’re into and how we help the next generation. It’s OK to be friends and go out and score 50 against each other. We took a lot of flak early on about being friends. Now you see the next generation is flourishing because of the relationships being built.”
He said he’s glad those four players could prove “that you don’t have to hate each [to compete]. You can love someone, they can be your brother. It doesn’t mean you have to take your foot off the gas pedal.”
This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 1:30 PM.
