For a unique player, Dwyane Wade sure brings to mind a lot of cliches. He can run the break, stop and pop, take it to the hoop, find the open man and make the big defensive stop. He’s unselfish, unflappable, unassuming, and often unstoppable. For a long time, Dwyane was also relatively unknown and definitely underappreciated. In a league where players are glamorized for “doing it all” (and even more act like they know it all), he is being recognized as a player apart, the kind of difference-maker you need for a championship run. Whatever the job, Dwyane gets it done. This is his story…

GROWING UP

Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. was born on January 17, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Dwyane Sr. and Jolinda, split up when he was young. They maintained a civil relationship, however, so Dwyane and his sister, Tragil, got to spend plenty of time with both.

Up until his eighth birthday, Dwyane lived on Chicago’s South Side with Tragil, their mother, her new husband, and his two daughters. Dwyane and his sister became particularly close during this period. He admired her mental strength and her commitment to their church, the Blood, Water and the Spirit Ministry. Religion was very important to the entire Wade clan.

Well mannered and well adjusted, Dwyane liked sports, particularly football and basketball, but never really thought of playing professionally. That began to change when he moved in with his father and his new wife and three sons, an arrangement agreed to by Dwyane's mom.

Dwyane Sr. worked in a printing plant, making enough money to afford a home in the Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn. An excellent hoopster in his younger days, he coached a team of teenagers at the Blue Island Recreational Center. He often brought Dwyane to practice, teaching him the basics of the game and schooling him on its nuances. The team’s best player was Dwyane’s step-brother, Demetrius, who also contributed to his basketball development.

With his new family so completely immersed in the sport, Dwyane’s love for basketball blossomed. He became a big fan of Chris Webber and Michigan’s Fab Five. The team’s athleticism and cohesiveness captivated him.

Despite his passion, Dwyane was not much more than an average player. But what he lacked in the skills department he made up for with toughness and intelligence. He and Demetrius took on all comers on a court in the family’s backyard. Dwyane Sr. was their most troublesome opponent. Their dad often challenged them to games of 21, where it was every man for himself under the backboard.

When it came time for Dwyane to start high school, he followed Demetrius to H.L. Richards in Oak Lawn. Known as a football powerhouse, the Bulldogs were also in the process of building one of the area’s top basketball programs. Demetrius was the centerpiece of coach Jack Fitzgerald’s squad.

Initially, Dwyane made a bigger impression on the football coaches at Richards than he did on Fitzgerald. A gritty cornerback and wide receiver, he showed promise on the gridiron, but couldn’t kick his obsession with basketball. Dwyane spent his second season with the Bulldogs on the sophomore team, as Demetrius led the varsity to a record of 28-2.

Dwyane was able to deal with his shortcomings on the hardwood thanks in part to his girlfriend, Siohvaughn. The two had met several years earlier, before either one had any real interest in the opposite sex. They became friends, and later began dating as freshmen. Dwyane and Siohvaughn have been together ever since.

Determined to earn regular time on the varsity, Dwyane worked out all summer long before his junior year with Richards assistant coach Gary Adams. He improved his ballhandling skills, and also his outside game, shooting hundreds of jumpers a day. Dwyane’s body cooperated, too, as he shot up up nearly four inches to more than six feet tall.

Always a tenacious rebounder, Dwyane now had the size and skills to excel in all phases of the game. Recognizing an emerging star, Fitzgerald made the junior his go-to guy. With Demetrius lost to graduation, Dwyane did it all for the Bulldogs. If Richards needed to break the press, Fitzgerald put the ball in Dwyane’s hands. If they needed a hoop in close, they fed the ball to Dwyane in the post. For the year, he averaged 20.7 points and 7.6 rebounds, and opened eyes all around Chicagoland.

Among those who took notice was Larry Butler, coach of the AAU Illinois Warriors. Already the state’s top amateur squad, the Warriors boasted a roster that included future pro and college stars Darius Miles, T.J. Cummings, Matt Lottich, and a good buddy of Dwyane’s, Odartey Blankson. Butler wanted a player to complement Miles, and Dwyane was the perfect fit. No only could he could run the break, but he could start it with a rebound and finish it with a twisting lay-up. (Dwyane didn’t start dunking until his senior year at Richards.)

Playing with the Warriors earned Dwyane the one thing he truly needed: exposure. To this point, college scouts barely knew he existed. Now they were checking their programs to find out about the rock-solid swingman. His biggest moments came during the Nike Peach Jam. Though never the dominant player of the floor, Dwyane displayed a knack for the game, especially in crunch time, that savvy evaluators couldn’t miss.

Heading into his senior year, Dwyane was becoming a hot commodity among midwest schools. Marquette, DePaul and Illinois State were all interested, and he responded to the extra attention with a marvelous season. Dwyane went for a double-double almost every game, with averages of 27 points and 11 rebounds. Richards surged to a mark of 24-5.

ON THE RISE

The scholarship offers didn’t come, however. The problem was Dwyane’s low score on the ACT. Fearing he wouldn’t be able to cut it academically, most schools backed off. Marquette was an exception. Assistant coach Tim Buckley loved everything about Dwyane, on the court and off. He helped convince head coach Tom Crean to give the teenager a shot. Marquette accepted Dwyane as a partial qualifier, meaning he could practice with the basketball team as a freshman but not suit up for games.

Watching from the sidelines was hard on Dwyane. Crean eased his burden by keeping him intimately involved. The coach made sure Dwyane sat next to him during home contests, constantly quizzing him on how he would handle different situations. The frosh wasn't allowed to travel with the Golden Eagles, so when they played on the road, Crean passed a cel phone around the locker room after each game so that Dwyane could talk with his teammates.

As the season progressed, the frosh gained maturity and confidence. In the classroom, he studied hard and maintained good grades. On the practice court, he added dimension to his game and some 20 pounds of muscle to his frame. By the fall of 2001, Dwyane was champing at the bit to start his college hoops career.

Crean, in his third year at the helm, was just as excited to welcome Dwyane aboard. Formerly an assistant to Tom Izzo at Michigan State, the coach was in the midst of an impressive rebuilding program. The Golden Eagles had finished above .500 in his first two campaigns, and with Dwyane and incoming freshman Travis Diener joining senior point guard Cordell Henry, Crean had the makings of Conference USA’s most versatile backcourt. Along the front line, sophomore center Scott Merritt was expected to provide much of the scoring punch.

Dwyane’s impact was felt immediately. In his first five games, all wins, he averaged more than 20 points, nine rebounds, and nearly five assists. After a good showing in the Great Alaska Shootout, Marquette shot to #17 in the nation. Dwyane was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and the Conference USA Player of the Week.

As the calendar turned to 2002, Dwyane continued his fine play. He torched DePaul for 35 points, including an eye-popping reverse dunk on an alley-oop pass from Henry. In February, he helped Marquette break Cincinnati’s 20-game winning streak with 25 points in a 74-60 victory. A crowd of almost 19,000 showed up at the Bradley Center for the contest, and mobbed Dwyane and his teammates afterwards.

The Golden Eagles headed into March Madness with high hopes. But they ran into a buzzsaw in the form of cat-quick Tulsa, and bowed out in the opening round 71-69. For Dwyane, the loss was softened somewhat by his selection as First Team All-C-USA and Honorable Mention All-America. Marquette’s leading scorer, he set a school record for sophomores with 571 points. Dwyane also topped the team in rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots.

But Dwyane’s most memorable moment of the season occurred away from the court when Siohvaughn gave birth to the couple’s first child, Zaire Blessing Dwyane. Being a father agreed with Dwyane, but he didn’t lose his focus on basketball. Over the summer, he pored over hours of game film, and noticed that his effort on the court was uneven at times. For the 2002-03 season, he vowed to maintain a more consistent energy level. He also spent plenty of time working on his jumper from beyond the 3-point line.

Marquette returned virtually the same team for the '02-03 campaign, though Crean scored two recruiting coups with Mississippi State transfer Robert Jackson and prep star Steve Novak. The pair was slotted to join Dwyane, Diener and Merritt in the starting lineup.

Early in the season, the Golden Eagles established themselves as the class of Conference USA. The Wade-Diener backcourt proved lethal, while Jackson and Merritt did excellent work in the paint. Marquette steadily climbed the national rankings, eventually reaching the Top 10.

Dwyane was the player opponents concentrated on stopping, but the job was nearly impossible. Whatever the Golden Eagles needed, he found a way to provide. In a late-season matchup at Louisville, he spearheaded a fierce rally that erased a 19-point deficit. Down the stretch he nailed a pair of 3-pointers to seal the victory. A week later Dwyane put up 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Marquette beat Cincinnati to claim its first conference title.

MAKING HIS MARK

As the Golden Eagles prepared for the national tournament, Dwyane was determined to avoid another early exit. In its opener, however, Marquette got a scare from Holy Cross, failing to put the game away until the closing minutes. Diener keyed a 72-68 victory with a career-high 29 points, while Dwyane posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 assists. Typical of the junior, when he realized that his backcourt mate was feeling it, he fed the ball to him as often as possible.

Next came an overtime thriller against Missouri. The Golden Eagles blew a 10-point lead, but got a clutch trey from Novak to tie the contest at the end of regulation. Marquette sizzled in the extra period, hitting all of its shots from the field and the foul line. Dwyane finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Facing defensive-minded Pittsburgh in the Sweet 16, Marquette gutted out another tough win, beating the Panthers 77-74. Dwyane stepped up in the second half, connecting for several big baskets with time winding down. His 22 points topped all scorers.

In the Elite Eight for the first time since 1977, when legendary coach Al McGuire led Marquette to the national championship, the Golden Eagles drew No. 1 seed Kentucky. The Wildcats never knew what hit them. Marquette won easily, 83-69, behind a sparkling performance by Dwyane. With 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, he recorded just the third triple-double in March Madness history. He was a no-brainer choice as the MVP of the Midwest Regional Final.

Marquette’s magical ride ended in the Final Four against Kansas. The talented Jayhawks throttled the Golden Eagles with their transition game, winning 94-61.

But the season was still a huge success, particularly for Dwyane, who wowed NBA scouts with his versatility, leadership and composure. A consensus First Team All-American, he averaged 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.2 steals. Now a certain a lottery pick, Dwyane opted to enter the NBA Draft. Everyone at Marquette wished him the best. He had been a model student-athlete during his three years at the school, and brought the Golden Eagles back to national prominence on the hardwood. With a wife and son to support, he deserved to cash in as a high first-rounder.

Dwyane lasted until the fifth selection on draft day. To no one’s surprise, LeBron James went first to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Then three teams that could have used Dwyane—the Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets and Toronto Raptors—passed on him. That left the Miami Heat in great position. The team had an interesting collection of players, including small forward Caron Butler, shooting guard Eddie Jones, and big man Brian Grant. Pat Riley also had his eye on free agent Lamar Odom. Dwyane was the type of player who could help this nucleus gel. And between him and Odom, Riley would have two players who could run his offense.

Dwyane slotted into the rookie salary structure at more than $7 million over three years. The 2003-04 campaign opened on an ominous note for the Heat when Riley resigned as head coach. He handed the reigns to assistant Stan Van Gundy, and Miami proceeded to lose its first seven.

Dwyane’s adjustment to the pro game contributed to the team’s struggles. Opponents wanted to see whether he could knock down the outside jumper consistently, so they backed off when he had the ball on the perimeter. This made Miami’s half-court offense bog down at times. On the break Dwyane had no trouble getting to the hoop, but finishing plays was difficult for him. To cure this problem, assistant coaches Bob McAdoo and Keith Askins gave Dwyane a taste of what it would have felt like if he had pursued a football career. In practice, they donned big blocking cushions, and battered him as he took the ball to the rim.

Durability also became an issue. Dwyane missed a couple of games early on with a hip pointer, and then fell hard on his right wrist during a game in late November. When the contusion didn’t heal, he sat out nearly all of January.

Ironically, the time off proved beneficial for Dwyane and Miami. He picked up helpful hints by watching and listening to his teammates and coaches, and the Heat began to get more comfortable with Van Gundy. When Dwyane returned, the team had climbed within reach of a playoff spot.

Dwyane recorded his first career double-double with 27 points and 10 rebounds in February against the Orlando Magic. Four days later, he set a franchise rookie record by converting 15 field goals against the Atlanta Hawks. The following week he was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week, becoming the first Heat rookie to earn the honor.

By March, Miami had moved up to eighth place in the East, and Dwyane was garnering support as NBA Rookie of the Year. He wound up third in the voting behind James and Carmelo Anthony. At 17 points and more than four assists and rebounds each night, Dwyane was producing in all facets of the game. Just as impressive was his 47.4% shooting from the field, second only to Sam Cassell among the league’s guards. With Dwyane and Odom leading the way, the Heat won 17 of their last 21 games to finish at 42-40, good for second place in the mediocre Atlantic Division.

In the playoffs, Dwyane amazed onlookers by rising to the occasion time and again. Miami opened the postseason against New Orleans, and in Game 1 they got a feel just how tough the Hornets would be. The visitors kept the contest close, knotting the score at 79-79 with seconds remaining. Dwyane took over from there, nailing a 10-footer at the buzzer for the win. He finished his playoff debut with 21 points.

With the teams trading victories in the see-saw series, Miami looked to Dwyane again in Game 5. This time he canned a clutch 3-pointer to break an 80-80 tie and put the Heat ahead for good. Two days later, in a New Orleans win, Dwyane established a franchise rookie playoff record with 27 point. In the decisive Game 7, the Heat relied on a balanced team effort to win 85-77, and move on to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

There they faced the equally athletic Pacers. Miami pushed Indiana to six games, but Jermaine O’Neal was too much for the Heat to handle. That’s not to say Dwyane didn’t put up a fight. For the series, he topped the team in scoring (21 ppg), playmaking (5.7 apg) and shooting (48.9% from the field), all the while logging more than 40 minutes a contest. In the process, he joined Stephon Marbury, Michael Jordan and Billy Ray Bates as the only rookies in NBA postseason history to lead their clubs in points and assists.

Dwyane’s sparkling playoff performance helped convince Riley and the rest of management that the Heat were perhaps one impact player away from contending for the NBA title. Of course, that player—Shaquille O’Neal—was a pretty tall order. But with Kobe Bryant unhappy in Los Angeles, and Phil Jackson on his way out as Laker coach, Shaq was looking for a new home. Miami offered Odom, Grant and a first-round pick. LA wanted Dwyane. The Heat refused, but did add Caron Butler to the mix, and eventually landed the hulking center.

Meanwhile, Dwyane was honing his game with the U.S. Olympic team. He received rave reviews from the coaching staff, including Detroit head man Larry Brown, and his teammates applauded his professional approach in practice and games. But Dwyane wasn’t able to lift the Dream Team to gold. After suffering a head-scratching loss to Puerto Rico, the Americans wound up with the bronze medal. In the win over Lithuania for third place, Dwyane had nine points and a game-high six assists.

Once back in the States, Dwyane and Shaq became fast friends. The big guy loved his new teammate’s me-second attitude, and talked up Dwyane in the press at every opportunity. Nicknaming him Flash, Shaq also made sure to stick it to Bryant, intimating that Dwyane was the better all-around player.

The duo of Dwyane and Shaq quickly turned Miami into the East’s best team. The Jones boys, Eddie and Damon, provided perimeter scoring, while Udonis Haslem was a nice complement on the low block. Some wondered whether Shaq’s presence would stifle Dwyane’s development, but they had the exact opposite effect on each other. Because it's all about winning for both players, neither was afraid to defer to a teammate with the hot hand.

As the 2004-05 campaign progressed, that hot hand belonged to Dwyane more and more often. In the preseason, he looked to get his teammates involved. But it soon became clear that the Heat was most dangerous when Dwyane shouldered more of the scoring burden. Thanks to his explosive first step, there were few defenders in the league who could stay with him when he went to hole. The result was usually either a bucket or a trip to the foul line, though the other Miami players learned to be ready for a bulls-eye pass if they were left alone.

By the All-Star break, Dwyane was being mentioned among the league's Top 10 talents. His impact on the Heat was obvious, as he and Shaq led the squad to the East's top record at 59-23. Dwyane upped his numbers markedly in every significant category, including scoring (24.1 points), rebounding (5.2 boards), passing (6.8 assists) and shooting (48% from the floor and 76% from the line). He was also a terror on defense, averaging more than a steal and a block per game. Fourteen times Dwyane posted a double-double, and in late December he orchestrated a win over the Pistons in Detroit with a triple-double (31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists).

Though the #1 seed in the East, Miami opened the playoffs amid a lot of questions. Most notable was the health of Shaq, who was suffering from a deep thigh bruise. In fact, some in the media predicted the Heat would fall to the Nets in the first round. They were dead wrong. Shaq answered the bell in Game 1, and looked fine, going for 17 points and 11 rebounds. Dwyane and Damon Jones, meanwhile, were on fire. The duo combined for 62 points as Miami cruised to a blowout victory. From there, the Heat never really looked back. New Jersey pushed them when the action moved to the Meadowlands, but Miami still closed out the series in four games.

Next up were the upstart Washington Wizards, and again the Heat registered a sweep. Dwyane was magnificent all series long, pumping in more than 30 a night and dishing out eight helpers a contest.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons edged the Heat in seven games. The decider was a particularly painful loss since it came in Miami. Dwyane was a handful for Detroit early in the series, going to the hoop strong, running the break at will, and making one clutch shot after another. But when the Pistons refocused their defensive game plan, Dwayne found his lanes to the basket closed off, and his jumper wasn't falling consistently. With Miami's other offensive options also stalling, the team didn't have much of a chance.

The Heat haven't wasted time trying to retool. With Riley still working behind the scenes, they pulled off the biggest deal in NBA history, landing Antoine Walker and Jason Williams in the process. Some have criticized the team, saying Miami only had to fine-tune, not overhaul. Whether the new lineup meshes has a lot to do with Dwyane. Don't be surprised to see Shaq hand over more the leadership responsibilities to his teammate and friend. The big guy knows that Flash possesses than intangible quality of bring people together.

Quietly—which is his style—Dwyane has entered the realm of the NBA’s elite stars. His numbers are impressive enough, but you have to look past the stats to truly gauge his value. Dwyane is a player’s player. Always has been and always will be.

Dwyane does so many things like Michael Jordan that the comparisons are inevitable. He is at his best with the ball in his hands, penetrating hard to hoop. His ability to slice through the defense is nothing short of amazing.

Dwyane’s outside shot is good enough that he no longer can be left alone on the perimeter, which gives him the opportunity to beat his man off the dribble. Once he beats his man, his options are threefold. He can pull up for a short jumper, continue on to the rim and dish off to an open teammate, or finish the play himself.

Dwyane is always a threat on defense. His quick, active hands and anticipation produce plenty of steals. He’s also an excellent rebounder.

Dwyane says he will never compete in the Slam Dunk contest, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a regular contributor to the evening highlight reel. Dwyane is a fantastic dunker, though he lays the ball in as often as he slams it home. That’s because he prefers to use his dunks at pivotal times, either to wake up his teammates and the home crowd, demoralize an opponent, or shake himself up if his energy is lagging.

Dwyane is already respected as a leader. Part of this has to do with his work ethic. He takes practice as seriously as games. In fact, he likes to train in the gym by himself, setting up chairs that he pretends are opponents and teammates. Dwyane is also known as a crunch-time performer. His numbers always sparkle in the postseason, and he’s money with the game on the line.