Miami Heat Team President Pat Riley Details Thought Process Behind Drafting Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade was drafted by the Miami Heat with the No. 5 pick in the 2003 NBA draft

Author:
Anthony Pasciolla
Jan 25, 2024 12:00 PM EST

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Pat Riley and Dwyane Wade built a special bond on the Miami Heat, with Riley serving as the coach and team president.

On the latest episode of 'The Why with Dwyane Wade' podcast (co-production of iHeartPodcasts and Wade’s 59th & Prairie Entertainment), Riley explained the story behind drafting Wade with the No. 5 pick.

“I mean, I know I wasn't the first pick in the draft, but I was the Heat’s first pick in the draft that year," Wade began. "What did you see in me as a fifth pick that [made] you take that chance on me as a player?”

The 13-time All-Star spent two seasons at Marquette University, where he averaged 19.7 points and 6.5 rebounds. The 2003 draft class was loaded with talent, including LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony. However, the Heat's front office selected who is arguably the second-best of the bunch.

“Well, at that time, we were really desperate. We had Caron [Butler], I love Caron. He was a guy that fell in the draft. He was supposed to be picked fourth, he went 10th…So we draft you. We got another guy that came in with you that year. But when I saw you in Milwaukee, we're playing the Bucks, and I had to go across the street from the hotel and get on a bike, and they had the game on. And so I'm watching the game and I'm pedaling my ass off and trying to get a sweat and all that. It's cold as hell. And I just saw something special."

Riley's eyes were not deceiving him, as Wade is a Hall of Famer and three-time NBA champion with the Heat. He was regarded as one of the best shooting guards of his era while acting as the leader in Miami's 2006 title.

"And I say this because greatness stands out. It just stands out," Riley continued. "And there are a lot of great players running up and down that court. Great athletes, great players, other players who are very good…But you just stood out, Dwyane, and you dominated. And – I didn't know how big they were – I said, his hands are huge, the length of his arms, all the things that I think great athletes need in this game to dominate. I don't care what sport it is, you know you had it. But I saw the fierceness also there so I was sold at that time."