Wade shares wisdom with young cagers
FORMER NBA superstar Dwyane Wade dazzles the crowd during his visit to the Smart Araneta Coliseum to watch the UST-FEU clash in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF UAAP
Dwyane Wade may have walked away from the National Basketball Association (NBA), but his passion for basketball continues to bring him back to the game — this time, sharing his wisdom with the next generation of Filipino players before taking in the University of Santo Tomas (UST)-Far Eastern University (FEU) showdown on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The three-time NBA champion spent Wednesday morning mentoring the 2026 Palarong Pambansa basketball champion CALABARZON alongside renowned trainer Chris Johnson at a basketball camp in Bonifacio Global City before heading to the collegiate matchup later in the afternoon.
Wade also joined commentators Jaime Ascalon and Jett Manuel during the second quarter to watch the UST-FEU showdown.
For Wade, mentoring aspiring players and watching the collegiate game reflected his enduring love for basketball — a passion he continues to share even after stepping away from the professional stage.
“I love basketball. I can watch basketball anywhere being played at any time. Today has been a great day,” Wade said during the halftime break.
“We got into a gym with a lot of young individuals who want to be out here one day. They want to be in college and go beyond that.”
“So, it’s a beautiful game. The game has done so much for myself and getting back to it. So today, checking out the opportunity to come here, sit here and watch a little bit of the game, that’s something I wanted to do,” the three-time NBA champion added.
The 44-year-old former NBA Finals Most Valuable Player also took the opportunity to reminisce about his collegiate years at Marquette University, where he developed the team-first mentality that carried him throughout his 16-year NBA career.
Wade urged young players to appreciate every moment of their collegiate journeys before moving on to the next stage of their careers.
“Every time I go back to Marquette, I get the chance to talk to college athletes, and I really tell them to ‘Be where your feet are. Stay here and enjoy every moment. This is the purity of the game,’” Wade said.