“That’s why I gave them the ‘What’” - Milwaukee fans booing Dwyane Wade created legendary celebration with LeBron James
When Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat took on the Milwaukee Bucks on the road during the famed 'Big Three' era, the Marquette alum was shocked at his reception.
Although he spent two years playing for Marquette in Wisconsin and had his jersey retired in the Bradley Center where the game was taking place, he was booed.
As Dwyane Wade and LeBron James charged downcourt with a full head of steam on the fast break, Wade dropped a smooth dime, passing the ball to James. As the Akron native threw down an iconic poster, Wade threw his arms out to the side in a 'what?' gesture.
Ahead of his Hall of Fame enshrinement, Wade reflected on the iconic moment, while explaining the reasoning for his 'what?' celebration. While speaking with NBA TV he stated:
"What I remember about this moment is, being back in Milwaukee, being back in the Bradley Center at the time where I played my college games at. Where my jersey is hanging up in the arena, and they were booing us. I didn't like that.
"That's why I gave them the 'what?' and now that I look at that dunk I'm like 'Oh he dunked it so hard. It was powerful.'"
Dwyane Wade's career at Marquette University led to his jersey being retired
Growing up, Dwyane Wade was a stand-out athlete. In high school, Wade played both basketball and football. As a standout wide receiver, it seemed as though his future lay on the gridiron, however, it wasn't until he hit a growth spurt as a junior that everything changed.
Suddenly, Wade was averaging 20.7 points per game in his junior year before then setting a school record in his senior year. Although sub-par ACT test scores hurt his recruiting status, Wade committed to Marquette University in Milwaukee.
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In his freshman year, Dwyane Wade averaged 17.8ppg while leading the conference in steals per game. In addition, he also led Marquette to their best record since the 1993-94 season.
In his sophomore year, Wade improved on his numbers, averaging 21.5 ppg while leading the team to a 27-6 record. In addition, he became the first Marquette player to be named to the All-America First Team, and the MVP of the Midwest Regional.
Although Marquette traditionally only retires the jerseys of players who graduate from the school, they made an exception for Wade after he was drafted No. 5. The rest, as they say, is history.
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