Retired Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade has been speaking to the press a lot before his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
He has been talking about his career, his plans for the future, his love of the game, and the people who have helped him get to this point.
One of those people, Shaquille O’Neal, had immense faith in him from the very beginning.
Speaking to NBA on TNT, Wade said that right from the start, O’Neal saw big things for the young guard.
“Shaq told me I was going to be sitting here as a Hall-of-Famer one day,” Wade claimed.
Shaq told @DwyaneWade after his rookie season that he would be a Hall-of-Famer.
19 years later, he will be enshrined into the @Hoophall⚡️ pic.twitter.com/0WkbBFMrlT
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) August 12, 2023
When O’Neal and Wade first came together for the Heat, they were having very different careers.
O’Neal was already an unquestionable superstar with Finals victories and countless accolades.
He was a household name.
As for Wade, he was still a young player with so much to prove.
But he said that the confidence that O’Neal gave him all those years ago had a huge impact on him.
The two spoke about the sort of relationship that they wanted to have.
They knew they’d be the central part of the Heat’s success and wanted to ensure that their relationship wouldn’t grow rocky, as it had in the past for O’Neal with other teammates.
It sounds like they were able to accomplish their goal of staying close and professional.
Wade said that he gained confidence from O’Neal but he also gained protection too.
Because he had O’Neal and Udonis Haslem on his side, Wade felt like he had room to play harder and not be so afraid.
Sure enough, this was a partnership that worked out incredibly well for everyone, including Heat fans.
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Dwyane Wade Reacts To Pat Riley Saying He’s The Heat GOAT