Earlier this season three-time NBA Champion Dwyane Wade announced that this season would be his last dance via his YouTube account. On September 16th at roughly 1:15 pm EST, Wade tells the public that veteran players that have been playing in professional sports for years share with young players that their time in the league will go by fast.
Wade talked about it being a tough summer, and not a lot of professional athletes want to be in the position of deciding to continue playing the sports that they love and in Wade’s case that has been 31 years. He has been playing the game of basketball since the age of five. Ultimately, Wade doesn’t want to miss any more family gatherings and would like to watch his kids grow up. That was a major factor of why he has decided to walk away from the game of basketball after this season.
So, throughout the season, numerous players have asked for D Wade to give them game-worn shoes, jerseys after taking on the Heat since this will be his final season playing in the NBA. Players such as his Banana Boat brother LeBron James, Anthony Davis, CJ McCollum, Donovan Mitchell, Kyle Korver, Vince Carter, and Jae Crowder just to name a few.
Recently I spoke to Carter about D Wade’s career after a Hawks shoot-around before they took on the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center.
“I think it is self-explanatory. Honestly, he is one of the top two guards to play this game. He deserves every honor and accolade that he is getting. He has been a dog and a monster for a very long time and even now, he could still play the game at a very level. If he wanted to,” Carter told me.
This past week I spoke to Basketball Hall of Famer the “Human Highlight Film” Dominique Wilkins about Wade’s decision to hang it up after this season.
“D Wade is a smart individual and guys know when their time is up. He is going out while he is healthy and by the way, he is a Hall of Famer. So, I am a big D Wade fan and I have a lot of respect for him, said Wilkins.
He would continue:
“I’m very happy about how his career turned out and all of the championships that he has won, and I wish him nothing but well wishes in his retirement.”
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Landon Buford is an accomplished sports and entertainment journalist based in Richardson, Texas, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, WWE, MLB, and the entertainment industry. Known for delivering high-impact stories and headline-making interviews, Buford has earned a global audience through content that blends insider access with compelling storytelling.
He previously served as director of editorial and brand communications at PlayersTV, where he helped shape the platform’s editorial voice and brand identity. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of LandonBuford.com—an independent outlet with more than 1.6 million views and syndication from major platforms including Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated and Yahoo Sports. Buford’s interviews with stars like Gary Payton, Kevin Durant, Mark Cuban and Chris Paul showcase his talent for meaningful, in-depth conversations.
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