Heat’s Dwyane Wade inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame. Relive his emotional 25-minute speech

After establishing himself as the one who’s widely considered the greatest Miami Heat player ever, Dwyane Wade continues to make Heat history even in retirement.

Wade, 41, became the first Heat draft pick enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame when he was inducted as part of the 2023 class on Saturday night at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts. He enters as a first-ballot Hall of Famer after retiring following the 2018-19 season.

“The game is where I discovered who I could become,” Wade said during his captivating 25-minute induction speech in front of a large group of friends, family, former teammates and former coaches. “It showed me that on the other side of hard work was the success I craved. It taught me the value of resilience in the face of adversity and how to bounce back stronger after defeat. Through the game, I discovered who showed up for me when I win and when I lose. My confidence was found through the game. It helped me find my worth is far beyond the court.”

The list of others enshrined on Saturday as part of the loaded 2023 class included Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Tony Parker; coaches Gregg Popovich, Gene Keady, Gary Blair, David Hixon, Gene Bess and Jim Valvano; and former WNBA player Becky Hammon. The 1976 U.S. Olympic women’s team was also part of this year’s Hall of Fame class.

Wade was the final one to speak on Saturday, using his speech to tell his basketball story from when he fell in love with the game, to the highs and lows he experienced along his basketball journey, to thanking those who supported and inspired him along the way.

“I’m on this stage because my belief has always been stronger than anyone’s doubt,” said Wade, who grew up in the Chicago area. “So to all the hoopers, I hope you take this to heart. Know it’s never about your setbacks, it’s how you respond. The blows you take are few, the limitations people put on you are actually inspiration. No one who comes from the community that I have has ever left a legacy worth remembering.”

Drafted by Miami with the fifth overall pick in 2003, Wade 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.

Wade’s NBA playing career lasted 16 seasons and included 13 All-Star Game selections. He spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Heat before briefly leaving to spend the 2016-17 season with the Chicago Bulls and part of the 2017-18 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and then was traded back to Miami midway through the 2017-18 season to end his career with the Heat.

People from every stage of Wade’s iconic Heat career made the trip to Springfield to be there for his Hall of Fame moment and celebrate his career. Among those in attendance on Saturday were Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra, Bam Adebayo, Udonis Haslem, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Bosh, Shane Battier, Ray Allen, Gary Payton, Andy Elisburg, Adam Simon, and Micky and Nick Arison.

There was also a loud group of Heat fans in the building to support Wade, with “Let’s Go Heat” chants filling Symphony Hall as Wade took the stage for his speech.

Wade joins Tim Hardaway, Bosh, Allen, Mourning, O’Neal, Payton, and Riley as those enshrined into the Hall of Fame with careers that included time with the Heat. Former Heat assistant coach Bob McAdoo is also in the Hall of Fame.

As part of his speech, Wade thanked his coaches along the way from his high school coach Jack Fitzgerald, to his college coach Tom Crean and to his Heat coaches Stan Van Gundy, Spoelstra and Riley.

“They helped me discover parts of myself I never knew existed,” Wade said of his coaches. “You not only taught me the Xs and Os of the game, but you also imparted valuable life lessons that have shaped the very character of the man that I am. Your belief in my potential and your unwavering support have made all the difference not just in my game but in my life. I would have never evolved into the player that could have played with the Mount Rushmore of talent like Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal) and LeBron [James] without you teaching me the importance of we versus me. That mentality made it possible to understand when sacrifice was needed for my teams to win.”

Wade also thanked his fans and then singled out specific teammates from his NBA career that he built strong bonds with. That list included Dorell Wright, Quentin Richardson, Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Eddie Jones, Mourning, Payton, Antoine Walker, Allen and “my bad little brother Mario Chalmers.”

But Wade then put O’Neal, Bosh, James and Haslem in a separate category as teammates who “changed the way I will be viewed in this game forever.”

“With Shaq, I learned how to be Robin to his Batman and then become Batman,” Wade said. “Watching Chris simply be himself while giving his all to the game but not cheat his family out of their time gave me a friend I could look up to. Spending four years with LeBron in Miami, I watched him not take one single day off of being great. And my brother UD and I, we learned how to be selfless leaders together. But the protection that he provided me on and off the court provided the safety of a big brother and it allowed me to bloom and blossom. So I thank you, I love you.”

Former NBA star Allen Iverson served as Wade’s presenter for his enshrinement into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Wade has made it known through the years that Iverson is one of his favorite players and biggest basketball influences.

Iverson wore a Wade-inspired suit jacket to the induction ceremony that featured “Wade” and the number they shared “3” on the back, a fashion touch that was meant to resemble the back of Wade’s Heat jersey.

“Your authenticity and unapologetic attitude resonated with me,” Wade said to Iverson on stage, dedicating two minutes of his speech to Iverson. “Your swagger, your unique style for rocking durags, braids, the baggy shorts to untucked jerseys, the earrings, the chains, the throwback jerseys all combined to create an image that broke the mold.

“A.I., you are a living breathing reminder that redemption and growth are possible. You inspired a generation, my damn self included, to believe that coming from nothing was not a limitation but motivation. I wore an arm sleeve throughout my career because A.I. did. I respectfully wore the No. 3 throughout my college and NBA career to represent the love and respect that I have for this man. So from the bottom of my heart, you are the culture and we love you and we thank you Allen Iverson.”

Wade then went on to thank his longtime agent Henry Thomas, who died in 2018, before ending his speech by showing his appreciation for close friends and family.

Wade had some of his “loved ones” who were in the crowd stand up as he called their names, including friends and peers Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, sister Tragil Wade-Johnson, nephew Dahveon Morris, daughters Kaavia and Zaya, son Zaire, wife Gabrielle Union, mother Jolinda and father Dwyane Sr.

Wade closed his time on stage by expressing his love and gratitude for his father.

“Even though I hated being called little Dwyane, I admired you as a kid,” Wade said. “I admire you now. We have the same exact dream and we carry the same exact name, Dwyane Tyrone Wade. To know we hustled all the way to the Basketball Hall of Fame is God’s will. So Pops, I know your knee is a little sore. But will you join me on stage as we take our rightful step into basketball heaven?”

As Dwyane Sr. stepped on stage to stand next to his son, Wade looked at him and delivered the final line of his speech.

“This one is for my father,” he said. “I love you and I’m thankful for you. We’re in the Hall of Fame, dawg.”