"What I did wrong in life" - Dwyane Wade contemplates his career seeing LeBron James' longevity
Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were teammates for the Miami Heat in four seasons between 2010 and 2014. Those were the Heat’s golden days as they won two titles and Wade and James were the most fearsome duo in the NBA. The two tried to give it a go again in 2017-18 in Cleveland but things didn’t work out great.
The two were even drafted in the same year in 2003. While LeBron James is still playing at a high level and is currently participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Dwyane Wade has been retired for five years. After seeing James dominate Serbia in the first quarter on Sunday, Wade said:
“Anytime I still see LeBron playing this level of basketball, I'm trying to see what I did wrong in life.”
While it’s normal for Wade to contemplate his career after seeing his friend’s longevity, it has to be noted that James is an outlier. The LA Lakers forward has been relatively lucky when it comes to injury. Also, it helped that he started early in the NBA and was drafted straight out of high school.
LeBron James was 18 years old when he was drafted, while Dwyane Wade was 21.
Wade also had a major surgery during his time at Marquette in 2002. The high-flying shooting guard had surgery to remove his meniscus from the left knee. The former three-time champion dealt with knee issues throughout his NBA career.
As Wade contemplates on what he could have done differently, part of it comes down to pure luck. James had better fortune with injuries and has been a physical specimen throughout his career. On Sunday, he led Team USA to a 110-84 win over Serbia in the opening game of the Paris Olympics. He had 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
Dwyane Wade tasted success in the Olympics as well
Dwyane Wade participated in two Olympics, the first of which resulted in a disappointing third-place finish in 2004 in Athens. That paved the way for Team USA to send a stronger team to Beijing in 2008. That team came to be known as The Redeem Team.
While Wade struggled in 2004, shooting just 38.2%, he was a much different player in 2008. He had already led the Miami Heat to a title in 2006 and was crowned the Finals MVP. Despite coming off the bench in the 2008 Olympics, he outscored LeBron James and the late Kobe Bryant.
Wade finished the tournament averaging 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals. He also led the team with 27 points in the final against Spain.