Wade Contract Fight: What the World Was Like When the Heat Drafted Dwyane

What was going on in your life around June 26, 2003? Believe it or not, that was twelve years ago — the time from kindergarten graduation to high school prom. Twelve years is enough time for three different United States Presidents to call the White House home. Michael Phelps won...

By Ryan Yousefi

July 1, 2015

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What was going on in your life around June 26, 2003? Believe it or not, that was 12 years ago — the time from kindergarten graduation to high-school prom. Twelve years is enough time for three U.S. presidents to call the White House home. Michael Phelps won 18 Olympic gold medals in three countries in that span.

And as the Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade play chicken over his latest contract, it's also the length of time since he joined the franchise.

With Wade's future up in the air, Heat fans are finding themselves thinking about just how long ago it's been since they've seen a season start without Wade on the roster. Here are a few facts to put into perspective just how long Wade has been with the Heat.

Two days before Wade was drafted, Beyoncé released her first solo hit, "Crazy In Love," from her first solo album, Dangerously in Love.
The newest member of the Miami Heat, Justise Winslow, was 7 years old when the Heat drafted Wade.
Two weeks before the Heat drafted Wade, 2 Fast 2 Furious number one at the box office.
Nokia sold 250 million units of its 1100 model phone, making it the world's bestselling "smartphone" at that time.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor of California in 2003.
The average cost for a gallon of gas was $1.83.
In 2003, the Miami Dolphins won ten games. They have won ten games or more only once since then.
Lenny Harris won a World Series ring as a player for the Florida Marlins in 2003. Now he's the Miami Marlins 50-year-old third-base coach.

You couldn't watch clips of Wade at Marquette on YouTube after the Heat drafted him because YouTube didn't exist yet.
Bad Boys II came out in 2003, introducing the world to Wade's current wife, Gabrielle Union, who played the character Syd.
In 2003, Brock Berlin led the fifth-ranked Miami Hurricanes football team to an 11-2 record. Playing in the Orange Bowl. In the Big East.
When the Heat drafted Dwyane Wade, Floyd Mayweather was only 30-0.

Miguel Cabrera debuted five days before Wade joined the Heat; he has had 405 HRs, 1,2422 RBIs, and 2,278 hits since then.
And, oh yeah, all of this has happened since the Heat selected Wade June 26, 2003:
3X NBA champion: 2006, 2012, 2013
NBA Finals MVP: 2006
NBA scoring champion: 2009 (30.2 ppg)
NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2010 (28 points, 6 assists, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals)
11X NBA All-Star: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
8X All-NBA:
First Team: 2009, 2010
Second Team: 2005, 2006, 2011
Third Team: 2007, 2012, 2013
3X All-Defense:
Second Team: 2005, 2009, 2010
NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2004
NBA All-Star Skills Challenge champion: 2006, 2007
Gold medal with Team USA: 2008 Summer Olympic Games
Bronze medal with Team USA: 2004 Summer Olympic Games
Bronze medal with Team USA: 2006 FIBA World Championship
Miami Heat all-time leading scorer
Miami Heat all-time assists leader
2005 Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award
2006 Best NBA Player ESPY Award
2006 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year
2006 Sporting News Sportsman of the Year
Wade won the 2012-13 season-long NBA Community Assist Award

Now that we've taken a little trip down memory lane, it's clear just how long the Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade have been connected at the hip. They've seen the entire world change while together. There really is no reason to go messing with something that has worked for so long. It seems only right that the Heat and Wade figure out how to continue their relationship and give it one last chance at a fourth championship run.

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Ryan Yousefi, a sports journalist and MBA holder in business healthcare management, has been a dedicated weekly contributor to the Miami New Times since 2013. Beyond his sports journalism career, he's held leadership roles in web3 gaming companies. He enjoys southeast Asia travel, pho, and whiskey, but most of all, being Lincoln's dad.

Contact: Ryan Yousefi

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