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With Andre Iguodala capturing his first NBA Finals MVP, albeit in surprising fashion, it provided the fitting end to a “team-oriented” Golden State Warriors run that dominated the NBA from the start of the season to its conclusion. However, with Iggy joining the ranks of the Finals MVP award winners and Dwyane Wade making several cameo appearances during the Finals itself, it sort of seemed fitting to venture back to 2006 to take a look at Dwyane Wade’s inaugural signature silhouette with the Converse Wade 1.
So with that in mind, this latest edition of Throwback Thursday is all inclusive, detailing Wade back to his days at Marquette to his domination of the 2006 NBA Finals. After the video above, scroll through the page below to enjoy this week’s #tbt.
Robbins, Illinois’ Own
After a tumultuous beginning to his collegiate career and having to endure a redshirt season at Marquette, Dwyane Wade would develop into a perennial collegiate star that eventually made his mark during the 2003 NCAA tournament. Running roughshod throughout the tourney, Wade would post a triple-double against the Kentucky Wildcats and helped advance the Marquette Golden Eagles to the 2003 Final Four, which included the likes of Syracuse, Texas and Kansas.
Although Marquette would eventually fall short of advancing to the National Championship, Dwyane’s legacy was further cemented as he would subsequently declare for the 2003 NBA Draft.
Rising Star
After entering the 2003 NBA Draft that included the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade would be selected by the Miami Heat and subsequently alter the course of South Florida basketball history for the foreseeable future.
Inking a sneaker deal with Converse from the onset, Dwyane Wade would dominate his rookie year, helping lead the Miami Heat to the 2004 NBA playoffs, in which his stellar play continued; even sinking this game winner during the first round of the playoffs against the New Orleans Hornets.
Throughout his rookie year, Dwyane would sport several distinct models such as the Converse Loaded Weapon.
“Wade County”
By 2005-2006, Dwayne Wade was a bonafide star within the NBA. Building upon his new found tandem with NBA icon, Shaquille O’Neal, the Miami Heat suddenly found themselves to be elite members of the Eastern Conference. After falling just short to the Detroit Pistons the season prior, the ’05-’06 campaign would be different for a variety of reasons, and one particularly noteworthy tidbit of the season is that Converse unveiled the Wade 1.
Building upon a mostly black initial aesthetic, the Converse Wade 1 incorporated a predominately leather upper with vibrant red accents along the silhouette while employing laser graphics throughout the tongue. In addition, a herringbone traction pattern is utilized along the outsole for further performance functionality.
2006 NBA Finals
The aforementioned Wade 1 silhouette utilized a unique makeup during the 2006 NBA playoffs as the “Playoff Edition” model was unveiled sporting a black and white makeup. Making their way all the way to the 2006 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat faced early adversity as they found themselves down 2-0 to the Dallas Mavericks. Down 15-plus point in Game 3, Dwyane Wade would thoroughly dominate the series going forward, helping Miami win four straight games and sealing the contest in six games.
Dwyane would garner his first and only NBA Finals MVP award thus far as he totaled averages of over 30 points per game, 7-plus rebounds and nearly 4 assists per outing.
Dwyane Wade Signature Lineage & Converse Wade 1 Legacy
After several injury-riddle years after the 2006 championship, Dwyane Wade would incur some tough times with the Converse brand. Back in 2009 with the release of the Converse Wade 4 hitting retailers, Dwyane would venture back to his inaugural silhouette due to injury concerns during the 2008-2009 campaign, in which the Heat would fail to regain their mid-2000 prominence.
In the near future, Wade would join Jordan Brand and rock a variety of PEs and notable silhouettes. Moving forward, Wade would garner his very own signature line with the Chinese brand Li-Ning in which he has developed several models as well as procure notable NBA talent such as Dorell Wright.
