Growing up in Chicago, it was only natural that Dwyane Wade's favorite player would be Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan. After all, the recent Hall of Fame inductee spent countless hours watching game footage of Jordan's games in an effort to improve his own skills. It was no surprise then when Dwyane Wade was drafted fifth overall during the 2003 NBA Draft, he finally got the opportunity to meet his idol. When asked about that moment, Wade recalled: "I ran right up to him. It was like seeing a ghost."
Draft night celebration
In a talk with Rachel Nichols on the show "The Headliners," Wade vividly remembered the events that occurred during his draft night celebration.
"My cousin Antoine, he came up to me and he said, 'Bro, Michael Jordan is here. And I said, 'Where is he at?' So, I'm thinking he's playing games with me. I'm like, 'Where he at?' And he's like, 'He's outside. They won't let him in.' He's like, 'Bro, I'm not playing.'" Wade shared. "I walked right up to him and he was like, 'I just wanna come and show you some love.'"
Profound impact
As His Airness inspired basketball players of all ages to pursue greatness on the court, he also had a profound influence on Wade. Coming out of Marquette, Wade went on to forge his own path in the NBA, securing three NBA championships with the Miami Heat and establishing himself as one of the league's greatest shooting guards of all time.
"That was a true story. That was my first time meeting Michael Jordan and it was the coolest experience ever. He was sitting on a motorcycle looking cool as s**t."
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