Among the tributes to Dwyane Wade that will be found in the TIPOFF magazine is a letter from Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra to No. 3, whose jersey will be retired. (Courtesy of Miami Heat/Getty Images)
MIAMI – The Miami Heat have a big weekend planned to honor Dwyane Wade’s incredible career. That includes a ceremony on Saturday night to retire Wade’s No. 3 jersey and have it hang in the arena rafters forever.
To commentate his legacy, the Heat have designed a special commemorative TIPOFF magazine to highlight his career and accomplishments.
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The magazine is a staple of any Heat home game and normally highlights certain players and the opponent, but for Wade’s weekend, it’s all about the greatest player in franchise history.
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Here's a look at the career of Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, who retired at the end of the 2018-19 season.Dwyane Wade started every game in which he played for Marquette, leading the Golden Eagles to the Final Four in 2003. He was a first-team All-American as a junior and elected to forgo his senior year to enter the 2003 NBA draft.Dwyane Wade was picked fifth overall in the 2003 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. As a rookie, Wade averaged 16.2 points per game and helped the Heat rebound from a 5-15 start to finish 42-40 and qualify for the playoffs.Dwyane Wade started 56 games for the Heat as a rookie, averaging 16.2 points per game.Dwyane Wade celebrates with teammate Shaquille O'Neal in 2006 after the Miami Heat won their first NBA championship in franchise history. The Heat rallied from an 0-2 deficit in the NBA Finals to beat the Dallas Mavericks 4-2. Wade was named MVP of the series.Miami Heat teammates Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal celebrate during the victory parade and celebration outside the American Airlines Arena on June 23, 2006, in Miami.President George W. Bush shares a laugh with Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal and guard Dwyane Wade during a ceremony honoring the 2006 NBA champions at the White House, Feb. 27, 2007, in Washington.Dwyane Wade spreads his arms as he arrives in Opa-locka, Florida, Aug. 25, 2008, after a flight home from the Olympics in Beijing. Wade won the medal as a member of the U.S. men's basketball team.Dwyane Wade follows through on a last-second shot in double overtime to defeat the Chicago Bulls, March 9, 2009, in Miami. The Heat won 130-127.Dwyane Wade scored a career-high 55 points against the New York Knicks, April 12, 2009, in Miami. The Heat defeated the Knicks 122-105.Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh became teammates in 2010, officially beginning the "Big Three" era of the Miami Heat. Together they played in four consecutive NBA Finals.Dwyane Wade says this iconic photo from a 2010 game against the Milwaukee Bucks is one he wants LeBron James to sign so he can display it in his home after he's retired.Dwyane Wade surely wasn't happy after the "Big Three" failed to deliver on their promise, losing to the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2011 NBA Finals.Dwyane Wade and LeBron James celebrate after the Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 in the 2012 NBA Finals.Dwyane Wade celebrates with teammates LeBron James and Chris Bosh after winning their second consecutive NBA championship in 2013. The Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-3 in the NBA Finals.It was the beginning of the end of the "Big Three" era for the Miami Heat after Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh fell to the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2014 NBA Finals.Dwyane Wade celebrates after making a 3-point basket against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half in Game 6 of the first-round playoff series in Charlotte, N.C., April 29, 2016. The Heat won 97-90.Dwyane Wade signed a two-year deal worth $47.5 million with the Chicago Bulls in July 2016, leaving Miami after 13 seasons with the Heat. He was a 12-time NBA All-Star during his tenure in Miami and was the NBA's scoring champion in 2009.Dwyane Wade made his return to Miami for the first time since leaving the Heat on Nov. 10, 2016. Receiving much fanfare, Wade was 5-of-17 from field-goal range and 0-4 from long distance, but the Bulls won 98-95.Dwyane Wade signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers in September 2017, reuniting with former teammate LeBron James. Wade and the Bulls agreed to a buyout of the remaining year of his contract.Dwyane Wade faced his former team again while playing for the Cavaliers on Nov. 28, 2017. Wade shot just .500 and was 1-2 from three-point range, but Cleveland won 108-97.Dwyane Wade looks on during the first half of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at American Airlines Arena on Feb. 9, 2018 in Miami. It was Wade's first game back with the Heat after being traded from Cleveland.In his final season, Dwyane Wade shoots a 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat the Golden State Warriors 126-125.Dwyane Wade talks with head coach Erik Spoelstra prior to the final home game of his career.Dwyane Wade celebrates with teammates prior to his final home game against the Philadelphia 76ers, April 9, 2019, in Miami. Wade scored 30 points in the 122-99 win.Dwyane Wade watches a tribute video during the ceremony to commemorate the final home game of his career.Dwyane Wade looks on with 1:27 left in the final home game of his career.Dwyane Wade, after hitting a three-point shot against the Philadelphia 76ers, receives a standing ovation from his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, during the second half of his final home game.Dwyane Wade waves to the crowd during the final home game of his career.Dwyane Wade lost the final game of his NBA career as the Miami Heat fell to the Brooklyn Nets 113-94. The Heat missed the playoffs, sending Wade into retirement in April 2019. He finished his career with 23,165 points, 549 three-point shots and 1,620 steals in 17 seasons.
Here's a look at the career of Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, who retired at the end of the 2018-19 season.
TIPOFF magazine editor Devin Rawiszer gave Local 10 an exclusive sneak peek at the making of the magazine and the special touches it will include.
Among the unique sections is a handwritten letter from Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra to Wade. The letter highlights their special friendship and the impact Wade will always have to the Heat franchise.
Wade himself will provide a special video message to fans, but only fans who have the magazine will see it. They’ll be able to use their cellphones to scan the Miami Heat app to the front cover. That will open up a special video message from Wade directly to fans who can watch it on their phones.
Rawiszer said she had to go through thousands of images to select just the right pictures to use in the magazine.
There will be no ads or game information in the TIPOFF magazine, just images of Dwyane Wade. (Courtesy of Miami Heat)
The pictures will include images of Wade, on and off the court, from the day he was drafted to his final game in a Heat uniform. There’s also a special section about Wade’s family life.
Heat fans will be treated to two different front covers. The first will be for the season member event on Friday night. A golden image of the three championship trophies will be on the front, while the inside of the magazine will not include any ads or game information. It’s all just images and stories of Wade.
On Saturday night, the front cover will be a golden No. 3 to honor the jersey number that will be retired that night.
The back cover will have a special touch. It’s an image of an older Wade putting his arm around a younger Wade. Both pictures are in the same Heat uniform.
The back cover of the commemorative TIPOFF magazine will display this image of an older Dwyane Wade putting his arms around a younger version of himself. (Courtesy of Miami Heat)
The magazines will be a must-have for all Heat fans attending the weekend festivities.
You can get an even closer look at the magazine, and how it was made, Wednesday on Local 10 News starting at 4 p.m.
Sports director Will Manso speaks to the two women who created the special magazine and takes you to the factory where it was printed to see the finished product.
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Will Manso came back home to South Florida when he joined Local 10 in March of 1999. During his time here, Will has kept busy by working in sports, news and he's even dabbled in entertainment. He is now Local 10's sports director and also enjoys the chance to serve as host for special shows on Local 10.
