Chris Paul’s Undying Support for Dwyane Wade Continues to Reflect as Heat Legend’s Soiree Takes Over LA

Close to one decade and the bonds of the ‘Banana Boat Crew’ still seem to stand strong. The most recent instance was Chris Paul attending Dwyane Wade‘s night of celebration in the City of Angels. Notably, Wade’s wine company, Wade Cellars, held its When We Gather series. And the 3x NBA champion posted photos from the evening to his official Instagram account.

While the photos in the post featured Dwyane Wade’s old buddy, there were some other notable appearances as well. “We had such an INCREDIBLE night with @chefmichaelmina and the entire @bourbonsteakla family in Los Angeles! Thank you so much for seeing what happens “When We Gather”!” read the caption to the former Miami Heat star’s IG post.

Notably, the official website of the Wade Cellars describes When We Gather as “a national series of wine and food experiences highlighting celebrated BIPOC chefs and sommeliers paired with Wade Cellars’ wines in restaurants, wine bars and wine shops across the U.S.”. However, this was not a long-in-a-time occurrence that the members of the Banana Boat Crew united for something.

In fact, last month itself, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul came together for a noble cause. Notably, the trio founded Social Change Fund United (SCFU) back in 2020 with an aim to empower and impact black and brown communities. And the SCFU, led and relaunched by the three NBA greats, will now invest $230,000 to further the motive of the organization.

The official Instagram account of the organization had shared this news through a photo post. “Many thanks to @blackenterprise for amplifying our work. We’re excited to relaunch SCFU and build a future where every community thrives. Join us on this journey of empowerment,” read the caption to the post. This reflects how the Banana Boat Crew stands united from celebrations to social causes.

The Genesis of Banana Boat Crew

The other names of the Banana Boat Crew include the Banana Boat Team and the Banana Boat Squad. It is worth mentioning that this hypothetical team is a quartet involving Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul. This name first came into existence after a photo by Wade’s wife, Gabrielle Union, surfaced online back in 2015. Although the photo only included Paul, LeBron, and Wade on a banana boat, since Melo was also there on vacation, he too came to be known as the fourth member of the team.

However, the friendship between the four players goes way back than this. In fact, there were chances of more members from this crew landing on the Miami Heat alongside Wade and LeBron James. Notably, the King landed in Miami in 2010, but the other members failed for different reasons. One can only imagine what the team could have been if all four players were together at some point in time.