“I can’t thank you enough for these last 15 years.” Dwyane Wade poured his heart out in a letter to Henry Thomas. For 15 unforgettable years, Thomas was Wade’s agent. And with time, he became a father figure and a trusted friend to Wade. So naturally, when Henry Thomas passed away, it left a deep void in Wade’s life and forced him to face some hard truths. Truths that would change his life forever. But how did it happen? Dwyane Wade first crossed paths with Henry ‘Hank’ Thomas in 2003, right after the Miami Heat drafted Wade. At just 21, Wade was a rookie, fresh to the spotlight, and completely lost in the overwhelming waters of the NBA. That’s when Henry stepped in. He became more than just an agent. He became Wade’s mentor, guiding him through it all. The connection was deep.

Dwyane Wade hung up his jersey after the 2018-2019 season, wrapping up one of the NBA’s most legendary careers. Everybody on the face of the earth knows the headline reasons for this action. Chronic injuries, declining physical performance, and a growing desire to focus on family life. But the truth is, those were just surface-level reasons. Wade kept the real story locked away… until now. He opened up about it today on Making Space with Hoda Kotb. And the revelation is something that nobody saw coming.

Again, cut back to 2018. Wade was playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was then, on Henry’s deathbed, that Wade made the toughest decision of his career.“I told him (Henry Thomas) that I was going to retire. I was going to retire that year.” Wade recalled, his voice heavy with emotion. In January of that year, Henry passed away, but before he left, Wade poured out every single feeling, every regret, every thought he had about his time in the game. 

“I told him (Henry Thomas) I don’t want to do this anymore. That love that I had for the game of basketball is no more,” Wade said. He spoke with honesty, “I finally sid it someone else and not just myself.” And that was the hardest part, admitting it to the person who had been his rock. The tears, the pain, and the quiet relief of being understood by someone who had seen it all.

Although Wade had already decided to retire from basketball that very year, fate had a full-circle moment in store for him. In February 2018, the Miami Heat traded Wade back to Miami, the place where it all began. It was a chance for Wade to return home and say his final goodbye to the fans. “This is perfect, where I started, this is it. That was it for me,” Wade said. You could feel the weight of those words. The culmination of a long journey, coming full circle in the city that had seen his rise to greatness.

Dwyane Wade found a father figure in agent Henry Thomas

Dwyane Wade didn’t just find an agent in Henry Thomas, he found a father figure who shaped his entire life. At his 2003 introductory press conference, a young, wide-eyed Wade spoke about what mattered most to him.

“Family will be something down the line when I don’t have basketball that I’ll have to lean on,” Wade said. People could already sense the kid from Chicago knew where his heart would land long after the buzzer stopped sounding. That’s why losing Henry Thomas years later hit harder than any playoff loss Wade ever took on the chin.

“I’ve never lost anyone in my family that’s been close to me,” Wade admitted after Thomas’ passing. And those words were the voice of a man missing his anchor. For 15 unforgettable years, Hank didn’t just manage contracts; he steered Wade through the unpredictable storm of NBA life. Fans knew Henry as the guy behind other big names like Tim Hardaway, Chris Bosh, and Udonis Haslem, too.

But with Wade, it wasn’t business as usual. It was a bond built on trust, love, and life lessons off the court. Wade often credited Hank for showing him how to be a man when he left college and stepped into the league. Their connection was more father-son than agent-client, something rare in the business-first world of pro sports.

And in the end, it was Hank’s voice in Wade’s ear during his hardest moments, including the decision to finally retire.