Being on the freshman-sophomore squad in high school helped Dwyane Wade later in his career

It’s hard to imagine a scenario where former Chicago Bulls player and Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade wasn’t the center of attention and an undisputed star. However, that was the case early in his high school career when he followed his brother’s footsteps and played at Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was there where the coach, Jack Fitzgerald, elected to keep the explosive player on the freshman-sophomore squad first rather than elevating him to the varsity team right away.

Taught him the value of work ethic

Now in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Wade credits the experiences he had on the freshman-sophomore team at Harold L. Richards for teaching him the value of work ethic. Rather than being handed a spot on the varsity, Wade had to earn his way with hard work and dedication.

“They gave me the jersey; they gave me the opportunity. The coach coached me; he didn’t just let me show up. He stayed on me because he saw a side of me that I didn’t even know I had,” Wade said.

“A lot of who I am and how I approach things is how I was raised and what I’ve seen. Chicago has a big part of that, and Richards High is a big part of that,” Wade added.

The coach still hears about it

Fitzgerald shared that given the incredible trajectory of Wade’s career, his friends often rib him for his decision to keep Wade on the freshman-sophomore team.

“My friends still give me a hard time: ‘How the hell did you keep him down there?’ ” Fitzgerald said. “He grew down there. He became a scorer. He grew up with kids his age, and then he was ready to go.”