It was halftime at Cavs against the Heat and Dwayne Wade was there, Wade’s jersey was officially retired from his jersey. His wife raised up the jersey while he was giving the speech.
He delivered a 20 minute speech thanking everyone to the organization, Pat Riley, and even the ball boys.
“I could have gone on for an hour,” Wade said following the ceremony at halftime of the Heat’s 124-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. “This is about me for sure, but this is about all of us at the same time — the city of Miami, teammates over the years, everyone who has sacrificed, rooted and cried. We all did this together. I didn’t do this by myself.”
His retired jerseys goes with four other jersey names: Shaq, Chris Bosh, Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway.
This is rapping up his three day celebration of him as he was being celebrated for his 16 years in the NBA, winning multiple championships, plus he was in 13 All-Stars and in 2006 he won the NBA Finals MVP. He has one more day to celebrate and that is today as everyone will be watching a documentary of him.
“At that moment I felt your love,” Wade told the crowd. “That was the first of many moments we would share together. Your appreciation and love has never left me. If there is one word, one feeling I want to convey to you tonight, it is gratitude.”
To end the speech he honored his friend the late, great Kobe Bryant:
“Kobe said the most important thing is to try to inspire others so they can be great in whatever they choose to do,” Wade told the crowd. “I hope I’ve inspired all of you.”
“We’re celebrating greatness and a legacy that will live on forever,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
