Dwyane Wade and Ex-Teammate Tap Into Marquette Roots for Annual Fierce Face-Off

Aiming for a higher cause has pitted Dwyane Wade against his former teammate from the Marquette Golden Eagles. The announcement of the face-off came in an official Instagram post by Marquette University. The two alumni played a crucial role during their time in Milwaukee as they led the Golden Eagles to their only Final Four appearance this century. And now, they’re aiming to “close the gap” in literacy rates.

The post also highlights that only 43% of students of color in third grade have a basic or better understanding of English Language Arts as compared to 85% among white third-grade students. “Dwyane Wade and Travis Diener led Marquette basketball to a Final Four. Now, they’re leading the charge to raise funds for local youth literacy programs with Wade vs Diener round 2!” read the caption to the Marquette University’s IG post.

Previously held in July 2023, Wade vs Diener was a three-day event that included a range of activities where the two stars competed with each other. The main motive of this three-day event was to raise money for the local youth literacy program. This also included the Tragil Wade-Johnson Summer Reading Program. It is basically a foundation by the 3x NBA champ to further the literacy rate among youth in Milwaukee.

Speaking of the competition between the two players last year, it was Diener who emerged victorious. As per an article by Marquette Wire, Diener even took a dig at Wade, though in good humor. He stated the reason for Wade’s loss to be poor drafting skills. “(Wade’s) not a good general manager… he just didn’t do a good job drafting. So not only is he individually horrible at golf, he didn’t draft well, so his collective team didn’t really have a chance.”

However, one cannot deny that both the stars are winners in the context of working for a noble cause. Moreover, this is not the first time that the former Miami Heat star has extended help to his alma mater.

Dwyane Wade pledged $3 million to Marquette University

Earlier this year, the D-Wade committed $3 million to the university in an attempt to impact the three different areas at the university. Firstly, this contribution will extend Wade’s Tragil Wade-Johnson Summer Reading Program. Apart from this, the amount will also help in establishing Wade Scholars. And lastly, it will also contribute towards a new men’s basketball practice facility.

Speaking of his connection with the university, Dwyane Wade credited the institution for shaping him into the person he became. “It means a great deal to me and my family to be able to give back to take the university to the next level… My hope is to continue to transform lives through higher education,” he said, as per an article by Marquette Today.

Notably, the 3x NBA spent three years in Marquette but only managed to play for the Golden Eagles for two of those. In his two seasons, he averaged 19.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, and led his team to the Final Four stage in the 2003 NCAA championship along with Travis Diener. Subsequently, Wade was drafted into the NBA by the Miami Heat, so his attachment with Marquette can clearly be understood.