NBA legend Dwyane Wade invests in the Chicago Sky

The Chicago native is showing his support for the rapidly growing league in a way that benefits generations of players to come.

Photo byMarkus SpiskeonUnsplash

Dwyane Wade added another basketball team to his investments: the Chicago Sky. On July 14, it was announced that the Chicago native joined the ownership group of his hometown team. He's also an investor in the NBA's Utah Jazz.

According to a press release, he bought in at the same $85 million valuation at which the franchise welcomed a group of new minority investors last month. Wade became the second former NBA player to invest in a WNBA team, as Magic Johnson invested in the Los Angeles Sparks in 2014.

The 2023 Hall of Fame inductee told ESPN that he's taking his support for the WNBA to a new level.

"We all talk about support, and support looks different for everyone. And so instead of tweeting out and saying, 'Go support the W,' instead of showing up at the game and supporting, I wanted to take it to that next level, and this was the next level for me."

Wade is a three-time NBA Champion with a career spanning 16 years. He spent most of his career with the Miami Heat following the 2003 draft as a first-round pick. He's also a 13-time NBA All-Star. Other teams he briefly played for are the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The WNBA is rapidly gaining popularity as games are seeing a rise in viewership and attendance. The 2023 All-Star game in Las Vegas was the most-watched in 16 years. It reached a peak of a little under a million viewers.

In 2021, the Sky won their first championship after a rebuild and a few playoff appearances.