Dwyane Wade earned nearly $200 million over his 16-year career, not including bonuses. A sizable portion of that was spent for his teammates, a neat lesson he learned from former teammate Shaquille O'Neal . During his playing days, the Chicago native revealed that he made it a point to share his blessings because "Flash" realized no man is an island, especially in a team sport like basketball.
" He came in from LA and showed us what we needed to do a little bit when it came to gifting certain things to your teammates when it came to taking your teammates out on the road," the 2006 Finals MVP said . "There were a lot of things that he showed. So when I became the vet, now same thing. If I get any deal I get, I make sure that all my teammates get a chance to have because I'm not playing an individual sport."
Wade realized that while he was the face of the franchise, that wasn't possible without his teammates' help. That's why he had to "share the wealth" like the Big Diesel did when he had new sponsorships, deals, and partnerships.
"That means a lot for your teammates, so you're doing the right thing," added the 2003 fifth-overall pick.
A page out of D-Wade's book
Dwyane recalls himself giving a playoff cheque to an unnamed promising rookie who had to do his errands for the season. He also mentioned gifting first-years a league "starter pack," which simply meant giving them suits to wear during game days and such. These gestures mean the world for the youngsters who earn the minimum wage.
It's good to know this practice hasn't died out yet. For example, Nikola Jokic gave each of his Serbian teammates Rolex watches worth $32,500. Donovan Mitchell gave his court brethren Louis Vuitton toiletry bags for the Holidays two years ago. Probably the most expensive gift ever was Shaquille O'Neal's Rolls Royce Phantom IV birthday present to LeBron James in 2009. The word was that this exclusive car model was worth $400,000.
Related: "They were tough" - D-Wade recalls brutal back-to-back ECF matchups with the Pistons
'Flash' was an exception
D-Wade came into the Miami Heat after the team placed 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 25-57 record. The scoring leaders were Eddie Jones and Caron Butler, and there was no clear hierarchy within the players. This played well into his hands as he was never subjected to the infamous rookie hazing that other first-year guys experienced.
"I didn't have to do nothing crazy," he remarked. "I've heard a lot of stories, but I'm one of the lucky ones that came in and the Heat sucked at the time, and I end up being one of the best players early. So they left me alone like we need D tonight. So I just had to get coffee and stuff on the road. I didn't have a lot to do."
As far as Wade's stories go, the rookies he took under his wing were the lucky ones. Besides gifting newbies with cheques, money, and suits, he never allowed them to pay for lavish team dinners.
"How I did it as a leader is that the rookies never pay for anything. We make sure that they have suits, different things, and kind of like a starter pack… And then I get used to give my per diem up to my rookies," the three-time champ concluded.
Dwyane's generosity proves that great leadership isn't just about winning games—it's about having everyone's back, especially the up-and-comers. After all, sharing the wealth means sharing the success.
Related: "I remember him sitting in the bathroom close to tears" - Doc opened up about a heartbreaking way Shaq's career ended
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