The Chicago native gained recognition during his AAU stint, but Dwyane Wade might not have made it to the AAU at all. Amidst a roster of talented players, he was able to make an impression and went on to create history when he was selected by the Miami Heat in 2003. However, he was close to losing his dreams for one reason.

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Recently, in the episode of the ‘Run it Back‘ podcast, the 3x champion sat down with Mateen Cleaves for an interview. Speaking of his AAU days, he revealed that he didn’t have enough money to support himself and that friends stepped in to help him collect the required money so that he could play in the games.

He said, “I can never forget, he (Larry Butler) asked me to play on the team and I just immediately said I can’t do it because I can’t pay for the hotels I can’t pay for the food I can’t pay for the travel right we just ain’t got it.” He added, “and so it became a collective effort to get me to go play like people putting their money together to make sure I have money to go on this trip.”

Following this, Wade was able to play the AAU for one year. For that reason, the champion has always praised his coaches for their support.

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Dwyane Wade attributes his success to his coach and mentors’ impact 

We know Wade for the spectacular career he has built. He is the real MVP in the basketball world. This athlete isn’t just a Hall of Famer, he’s practically a legend of his generation. However, Wade’s story of his AAU days takes us back to the time when he had just begun to attract people’s attention to his game. One of the few people who took notice of the young talented player was his high school coach Larry Butler. It was back in senior year when he started to show his true potential. One of his former teammates once described how he dominated his senior year by dropping 81 points in two games, scoring 48 points in one and then 41 in the second game. The Miami Heat legend has therefore always given credit to his mentors who saw his potential and helped him reach his destination.

From shooting hoops to being a savvy businessman, he has been able to reach milestones people dream of. Have you seen Wade play with the Golden Eagles? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.