Reflecting With Wade: The Superstar's Career Has Come Full Circle
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – 15 seasons into fame have made Dwyane Wade incredibly comfortable in his own skin.
When it's time to be a pitch man, he knows how to turn on the charm.
Wade came to a brand new suite at the American Airlines Arena to plug an online booking service.
For one night, the perch can be yours.
It overlooks the court where Wade has made magic.
"It's something about that Heat jersey. I feel like superman when I put it on," Wade said. "I'm not as cool [off the court] as I am on the court, let me say that. The game of basketball is a place where I've always felt my coolest. I can't dance, but on the court I've got rhythm."
CBS4 Sports anchor Jim Berry reminded Wade of how it all began. After being drafted by the Heat in 2003 he arrived in South Florida in awe.
"From the inner city of Chicago, you've only heard about paradise. You didn't know what paradise was, you just heard about it," Wade said. "Then I came here and I was like 'this is paradise.'"
Before long, Wade was the face of the franchise.
But after three championships, the Heat lifer began a new life in different uniforms.
It took an implosion in Cleveland to get Wade traded back to Miami.
"It's something that everybody wanted, just no one knew how we were gonna get there," Wade explained. "The way we got here, it's like a bestselling book right here. Now we've just got to finish the season off good to make it exciting. It's definitely a bestseller."
Wade has bonded with a new generation in a way he never imagined.
A student buried in his jersey created a seismic shift in how Wade measured his own impact.
"To think about me in the process, that this is something that he wanted, to be buried in my jersey…to me that was like way bigger than, my momma always said 'that's way bigger than basketball.' This is way bigger."
So the star has morphed into ambassador, touching lives in a new way.
After seeing retired star Kobe Bryant win an Oscar, Wade knows there is life after basketball.
"In the next phase of life Kobe has given me something to shoot for," he said. "He's given other athletes something to shoot for. And it's not to shoot for the Oscar, it's to shoot for being great in your next thing that you decide to do."