Dwyane Wade is returning for a 16th NBA season and final season. The 36-year-old guard shared that he'll play one more year in a dramatically lit video called "One Last Dance..."
In the nearly 10-minute video, Dwyane talks through his road to the NBA, the issues he struggled with while deciding whether or not to play one more year and, ultimately, his decision to return and play for the Miami Heat.
"The vets tell you, 'Young fella, it's going to go by fast,' You think at that time 'I'm just getting started,'" he begins the video. "As I stand here today...I'm here to tell you 'It goes by fast.'"
Soon after, he shifts to the present-day and his decision on whether or not to play another year.
"Not a lot of athletes want to see this time come, where you have to decide if you want to continue to play the game that you love...or if you want to walk away," he said.
Wade said he questioned whether he can physically play another season and whether he could stand to be away from his family. Ultimately, a part of what helped him decide to play another year was the struggle he went through to get to the league in the first place.
"A lot of you guys see me is as a three-time champion, a 12-time All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist, y'all didn't see that kid that no one [saw] because he was small, because he couldn't shoot as good as everybody else," he said. "Y'all didn't see the grind. Y'all didn't see the tears."
Wade is the Heat's all-time leader in points, assists, and steals. He averaged 22.5 points per game across his career and 11.4 points last season on shorter minutes. After spending the past two years away from Miami, he was traded back to the Heat during the Cavs' massive fire sale in the middle of last season. He'll turn 37 during his final season with the team.
