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Four former NBA players were recently inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The honor is for players who dominated the hardwood and brought home various accolades for their teams. Amongst the four honorees was Miami Heat legend, and three-time NBA champion, Dwyane Wade.

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Looking to pay tribute to his former teammate, former Los Angeles Lakers athlete Shaquille O?Neal took to social media and praised the recent Hall of Famer?s business acumen.

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Shaquille O’Neal highlights Wade’s business portfolio on social media

NBA athletes are getting increasingly savvy with their earnings. From investments to ownership, basketball businessmen are expanding their net worth every year. This even applies to former players though. Magic Johnson has arguably earned more as a businessman than he did through his NBA career. The latest retired professional who is pushing the business envelope is Dwyane Wade.

A recent post highlighted the former player?s latest achievement through a picture. It also featured six companies that Wade either has ownership, co-ownership, or limited partnership with. The caption read, ?From the basketball court to the boardroom.?

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The latest entry in his portfolio occurred a few weeks ago when Wade acquired a co-ownership stake in the WNBA team, Chicago Sky. The player spoke at length about how his mother led him to the team and that he dedicates the co-ownership stake to her.

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In another interview, Wade highlighted the work that needs to be done in order to bring the ?Chicago Sky? on par with the other WNBA teams.

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Shaquille O?Neal took to Instagram to highlight the post on his story. Acting as a tribute to the player for being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Shaq?s shoutout also helped his 31.9 Million followers to learn more about the Heat star.

READ MORE: Saved From Meeting ?Gang? Fate, Dwyane Wade Ends HoF Night With Tearjerking Honor Only to Take a Jab at Father?s ?Sore Knees?

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Wade isn?t the only one who has made it into the business world. Shaquille O?Neal owes his $400 million net worth to various investments, particularly in food-based companies like Five Guys, Papa John?s, Krispy Kreme, and of course, his own Big Chicken.

Of course, Shaq and D-Wade were teammates for over three and a half seasons after O’Neal’s stint with the Lakers.

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Dwyane Wade led the Heats to win the 2006 NBA Finals

During an interview with Bleacher Report, Shaq said that he didn?t pay much attention to how the other players used to perform. That all changed for him, however, when he saw a rookie Wade going head-to-head against the likes of 2x All-Star Baron Davis.

The two would later go on to form a formidable team in order to do the unexpected.

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In 2006, Shaq and Wade lead the Heats to the NBA Finals, in a direct confrontation with the Dallas Mavericks.

After losing the first two games by 10 and 14 points respectively, it seemed that the Mavericks would be taking the title home. However, Wade had the final word. He would go on to score 42, 36, 43 and 36 points in the next four games. It shocked everyone and completely changed the odds in Miami’s favor.

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Of course,? it also helped secure the first championship title since the team?s inception in 1988. It also seems that Shaq formed a respect for the player that continues 17 years after securing that shared goal.

WATCH THIS STORY |??He Passed That Sunday?: Shaquille O?Neal?s 66YO Buddy Reminisces the ?Surreal? Moment When the World Lost NBA Legend, Kobe Bryant

Considering the success?Diesel?and?Flash?enjoyed together, fans would love to see the duo take their winning ways off-court.

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Written by

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Ashmit Kumar

2,900 Articles

Ashmit Kumar is a Senior Basketball Writer at EssentiallySports with over three years of experience covering the NBA. A journalism graduate, Ashmit has been a crucial part of EssentiallySports’ NBA live trends desk for the past two seasons. His work extends beyond game coverage to include analysis of player endorsements, brand deals, and Team USA's Olympics campaigns. At ES, he collaborated with beat writers across sports as part of the 24/7 Paris Olympics coverage. As a participant in the EssentiallySports' Journalistic Excellence Program, a professional development initiative where writers are trained under industry experts to enhance reporting skills and editorial judgment, Ashmit comes with clarity and balanced perspectives in a fast-evolving basketball landscape. Outside of writing, he is passionate about gaming, video creation, and fiction writing.

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Aakash Nair

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