Dwyane Wade has bought an ownership stake in the Utah Jazz
Dwyane Wade has added to his resume since retiring. Dunk contest judge, television analyst, and now team owner.
Dwyane Wade appears to be joining the Utah Jazz. Two years after his retirement from on-court play, he is returning to the league in a different role as Adrian Wojnarowski has reported:
Three-time NBA champion @DwyaneWade has purchased an ownership stake in the Utah Jazz, joining majority owner and governor @RyanQualtrics with plans to take an active role in the franchise and region. Story on ESPN: https://t.co/ZxtZe8uLey
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 16, 2021
Cool!
Wade has remained a presence around the league since he played his last game, and his role in the future of the league looks to be expanding. He will be joining the Utah Jazz as a partial owner.
This is good. The vast majority of people in ownership positions in the NBA are white despite the fact that the majority of players in the league are black. In Utah, only 1.19 percent of the population is black, the fourth-smallest number of all 50 states, so it can be said that Wade’s joining seems particularly significant. Greater representation across all roles in the league is a positive thing, and already he will be a significant counterbalance.
He’ll be fortunate enough to join a team that’s already in great shape this year, giving him time to adjust to his new responsibilities. The Utah Jazz have been on or near the top of the Western Conference all year. He’ll just have to maintain a contender, not build one.
Why didn’t Dwyane Wade buy a stake in the Miami Heat?
This was not the first time Wade was near an ownership role per Heat owner Micky Arison:
I want to congratulate Dwyane on his recent announcement. We had discussed having him join our ownership group after his retirement but he was not prepared to commmit at the time. Of course I am disappointed that he didn’t reconsider. 1/2
— Micky Arison (@MickyArison) April 16, 2021
Even if Wade’s career may always be associated with the Heat, Wade decided that his ownership intentions would be best served in another place.
Perhaps Dwyane Wade wanted a different path or unfamiliar path, but regardless this is an important move for many reasons. It will be fun to watch what this could mean for the Jazz going forward.