Inside The Heat

Dwyane Wade Provided Utah Jazz With Ultimate Vote Of Confidence In NBA Draft

Shandel Richardson|
Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Ace Bailey stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the fifth pick by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Ace Bailey stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the fifth pick by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

As a minority owner of the Utah Jazz, Dwyane Wade felt the need to say something before the NBA draft. Wade stepped up the moment the Jazz won the No. 5 pick. It was the same spot Wade was chosen by the Miami Heat in 2003.

"I'll never forget D-Wade's quote," Jazz owner Ryan Smith said Thursday on the Pat McAfee Show. "Obviously, we're hoping for the draft lottery and everything came out. His quote right away was, `hey, there's been a lot of killer players picked at No. 5."'

The Jazz selected Ace Bailey out of Rutgers Wednesday night. The hope is he has the same impact as Wade in the league. Wade was considered a darkhorse player in a draft that included LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh.

Despite being the last chosen of the bunch, Wade kept up with his Hall of Fame peers. He led the Heat to the first title in franchise history in 2006, defeating the Dallas Mavericks. Wade was named MVP in what some call one of the greatest NBA Finals performances ever. Later, he teamed with James and Bosh to lead the Heat to consecutive titles in 2012 and 2013. His career was given its due when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023.

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here