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Born: January 17, 1982
Chicago, Illinois
Height: 6 feet 4 inches
Weight: 212 lb.
Position: Shooting Guard
NBA Team: Miami Heat
Pro career: 3rd season
Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. (born January 17, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois) currently plays professional basketball for the NBA's Miami Heat. Already one of the elite guards in the league at 23 years of age, he is touted as a young but extremely gifted player whom some consider to be one of the brightest spots in the future of the NBA.

Wade played collegiately for Marquette University, leading the Golden Eagles to the Final Four in 2003. Perhaps his most memorable collegiate moment came in the 2003 Midwest Regional Final in the NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis. Against heavily favored No. 1 Kentucky, Wade recorded a rare triple-double, recording 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists to top the Wildcats 83-69. Wade was only the fourth player in NCAA Tournament history to record a triple-double, after Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Andre Miller.

Wade's strong play in the tournament caused his NBA Draft standing to increase significantly, and he elected to forgo his senior year at Marquette. Selected fifth overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, Wade quickly became an emerging star on a young Miami Heat team. He distinguished himself with outstanding performances in the 2004 NBA Playoffs, particularly against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. However, Wade's successful rookie season was overshadowed by the hype surrounding fellow rookies LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.

As a testimony to his success, Wade was chosen as a member of the 2004 USA basketball team during the 2004 offseason. However, he had a limited role as most of the playing time was given to more experienced veterans. During the 2003-2004 season, Wade was able to lead his team, the Miami Heat, to the playoffs.

Shaquille O' Neal was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to Miami in the summer before Wade's second season. Wade's scoring average, assists, and rebounding totals increased considerably in his second season with the Heat, and he quickly emerged as a rising superstar in the league. He was elected to his first NBA All-Star Game in Denver and came off the bench to score 14 points in leading the East to a 125-115 win. Compared to the previous year, the Miami Heat under Wade and O'Neal improved thirty-three games to attain a 59-23 standing by the end of the regular season.

Dwayne Wade and Shaq.In the first round of the 2005 NBA playoffs (against the New Jersey Nets), Wade became one of only seven players in NBA history to average at least 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds while making half his shots in a playoff series, averaging 26.3 points, 8.8 assists, and 6.0 rebounds at 50% field-goal shooting. The other players to accomplish this are all members of the Basketball Hall of Fame: Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. Amazingly, Wade accomplished this feat once again in the 2nd round playoffs sweep of the Washington Wizards. Despite the Game 7 loss to Detroit in the Conference Finals, Wade was magnificent throughout, scoring 40 and 36 respectively to negate the Pistons' trademark stifling defense.

The success of the Heat's 2005 playoff run and Wade's impressive performances with Shaquille O' Neal hampered by injury led to an explosion of media attention and popularity for the budding superstar. Entrepeneur Sean "P. Diddy" Combs signed him to a model contract to his Sean John clothings company, and Wade also appeared on the cover of EA Sports' NBA Live '06 video game. He is currently signed with the Heat through 2006-07. In 2005, he became the second ever Miami Heat player to be chosen as one of People Magazine's 50 most beautiful people. The other was Alonzo Mourning.

Wade is among the estimated 3% of American Christian adults who tithe, according to the Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Wade gave 10% of his $2.6 million salary this season to the Blood, Water and Spirit Ministry in Chicago. Wade was a tither before he started playing in the NBA.