Over the weekend, Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Here is a look back at some of the agents he had during his NBA career.
Now, Dwyane Wade is represented by CAA’s basketball division. However, that wasn’t always the case. During his playing days, he was represented by a man he shared an incredibly close bond with.
Dating back to when Wade was first drafted by the Miami Heat in 2003, he had an agent by the name of Henry Thomas. Along with being Wade’s agent, Thomas also represented Heat legend Udonis Haslem and Wade’s future teammate Chris Bosh.
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Wade and Thomas shared a close friendship from the moment he was drafted until his death. Thomas passed away in 2018, when Wade was playing alongside LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not long after, Wade was traded back to the Heat where he’d finish out the rest of his Hall of Fame career.
Dwyane Wade’s agent was a father figure to the NBA Hall of Famer
For most pro athletes, the relationship with their agent is strictly business. However, that wasn’t the case with Dwyane Wade. He viewed Henry Thomas more like a family member than a business partner.
When Wade touched on Thomas’ passing in 2018, he compared it to losing someone in his family.
“I’ve never lost anyone in my family that’s been close to me,” Wade said. “This is the first person that I’ve lost so just dealing with that. Obviously, I understand that for the last year he’s been getting sicker and sicker.”
Wade was not the only one to view their bond in this way as Thomas cherished what he had with the NBA star as well. After his death, his daughter spoke on the relationship the two shared. One moment she picked out specifically was when Wade led the Heat to a championship in 2006.
“The photos from him and just the footage I saw from him and Dwyane, my father could not have been happier and more proud to have that experience with Dwyane and just really celebrate,” Hillary said. “Dwyane winning a championship was almost like my father winning a championship.”
Given the bond they shared, Thomas is someone Wade certainly wishes could have been there to see him get his named etched in basketball history forever.
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