Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade is moving to the Western Conference. Only now, Wade is doing it as part of the Utah Jazz ownership group.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Wade plans to “take an active role in the franchise and region.” The Jazz have been owned by Utah billionaire businessman Ryan Smith since October.
“It wasn’t like we wanted more partners; that wasn’t what we were trying to do,” Smith told ESPN. “I want to work with Dwyane on and off the court, on the business side, and so do our partners — because of who he is as a human being and what he’s accomplished. Those are the kinds of people you want around.”
Wade, 39, won three championships with the Heat, starting in 2006 with Shaquille O’Neal. The other two came during the Big Three era of Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
Wade has long talked of wanting to be involved in ownership of a team, and while his stake in the Jazz has not been determined, league rules prevent anyone from owning less than 1% of a franchise, Wojnarowski noted.
“This goes way beyond the dream I had to just play basketball in the NBA,” Wade told ESPN. “I’ve seen Shaq do it in Sacramento. I’ve seen Grant Hill do it in Atlanta. I’ve seen Jordan do it in Charlotte. If this partnership is going to be anything like my relationship is with Ryan, there are going to be a lot of things that I’ll want to be involved in. …
“Unfortunately, people in my community don’t get this opportunity, and I do not take it lightly to have this opportunity. To make real change, this is where you have to be — at the top — and Ryan knows that. I’m thankful for him, and I know too that I bring a lot to this partnership outside of just my basketball knowledge and skills.”
