Watch: Dwyane Wade's 16-year-old son embarrasses NBA player in big moment
Seeing an athletic guard wearing a No. 3 jersey and nailing jump shots against NBA players is nothing new for basketball fans in Miami.
Dwyane Wade has done that for years a member of the Miami Heat. But the Wade who was entertaining fans Tuesday night was not the man with 15 NBA seasons under his belt. Instead, it was Wade’s 16-year-old, Zaire, who took part in a Miami Pro League game.
Wade is a 6-foot-2 guard who plays for American Heritage High School in Ft. Lauderdale. He’s yet to be a highly targeted recruit among colleges, but that might change with more performances like the one Tuesday.
Wade was invited to play on a team that included Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside and Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond. They were playing against a team that included New York Knicks guard Tim Hardaway Jr.
It was the younger Wade’s move against Hardaway that wowed the crowds in the gym and on social media.
Wade used a between-the-legs dribble to change direction against Hardaway, then used a pick for some separation before nailing a step-back jumper that had the crowd on hand erupting in its approval.
d wade’s son out here cooking tim hardaway jr 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/T1tAHlQzzL
— drew (@sixersruinedme) July 4, 2018
Wade’s team went on to win the game, 99-97. After his big night, Wade celebrated with an alley-oop dunk fed to him by his proud pop.
D-Wade's reaction after the alley-oop to his son is giving us LeBron flashbacks … (via @overtime) pic.twitter.com/WwKUHFESzB
— ESPN (@espn) July 4, 2018
While college scouts will likely be keeping a close eye on Wade’s progress this season, his mother, Gabrielle Union, made sure people know some inside information about her son.
And hes got all A’s and does his chores ??? https://t.co/5Hrb2upxfq
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) July 4, 2018
“And he’s got all A’s and does his chores,” she posted on Twitter.
Wade has yet to crack the list of the top 100 recruiting prospects for the class of 2020, according to 247Sports. But you can bet nobody at the Wade household is panicking just yet.
After all, only three schools recruited Dwyane Wade out of high school — Illinois State, DePaul and his eventual choice, Marquette. And even while at Marquette, few projected Wade to be a high-impact NBA player.
Watching his son develop his high-school talents is one of the reasons Dwyane Wade has said if he plays this year in the NBA, it will only be with the Miami Heat.
The Heat have 10 players under contract for next season, and Wade is a free agent. However, Miami is already over the league’s salary cap and just below the $123.7 million luxury tax ceiling, so he may have to be willing to accept a league-minimum deal if he’s willing to return.
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