Whether he’s cheering for Chelsea Gray or guiding Vinyl, Dwyane Wade’s fascination with Unrivaled is hard to miss. But what makes it even more interesting is his deep appreciation for the 3-on-3 format—something you wouldn’t usually associate with The Flash. After all, Wade made his name dominating the traditional 5-on-5 game. So where does this love for a different style of basketball come from? Turns out, it traces all the way back to his college days, and in his own words, it was a humbling experience.

On a recent podcast episode, Dwyane Wade took a trip down memory lane, reflecting on his first real experience with 3-on-3 basketball when he arrived at Marquette. Though he sat out his freshman year, the moment he described came from a practice session back in 2000.

“I was young… So I came in with three or four other guys who was the same way. We play 5-on-5 versus the veteran guys that was there,” The Flash recalled, painting a picture of the early battles that shaped his game.

Confidence was sky-high, and Dwyane Wade genuinely believed that his group of fresh, athletic players could take down the seasoned veterans. But then came the twist.

“We thought we were better than the guys that were starting. They put us in a half court, 3-on-3… And they tore our a– up. We didn’t know what to do… You got a great pick and roll person. What do you do now? All right, we going to put two on the ball? Are we going to go under? Like, we don’t really know how to get over picking rolls. It exposes you…” Wade admitted on his podcast. That’s when reality hit. What seemed like a simple, scaled-down version of basketball turned out to be a completely different beast.

Well, unlike the 5-on-5 format, where the game flows at a more controlled pace, 3-on-3 basketball is all about speed. With a shorter game time and a 12-second shot clock—half of what’s used in traditional basketball—there’s barely any time to set up plays. Players have to react on the fly, making every decision count.

Furthermore, endurance isn’t the biggest factor here; it’s agility and quick bursts of movement that separate the great from the good. Running up and down a full court is one thing, but constantly moving, adjusting, and finding space in a tight half-court setting is another challenge altogether.

And then there’s the defensive side of things. If you think man-to-man defense is tough in a standard game, try maintaining it when there are only three players on the court. There’s no hiding behind teammates, no structured zones to fall back on. It’s just you, your matchup, and a whole lot of space to cover.

Wade learned these lessons the hard way, and it’s probably why he respects the format so much today. However, this did not hold back Wade from providing whatever help he could to the sides he was rooting for.

Dwyane Wade gave pep to Vinyl ahead of their championship game

The Vinyl Basketball Club pulled off a stunning upset in the Unrivaled women’s 3-on-3 basketball league, taking down the Lunar Owls—a team that had only lost once all season. If there was ever a moment to believe in underdog magic, this was it. But their journey wasn’t over yet. The real test? The championship game against Rose.

Knowing what was at stake, Vinyl got a special boost before the big showdown. None other than Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade stepped in with a pre-game pep talk, dropping some wisdom that champions live by.

In a video shared on Instagram, Wade reminded them, “It doesn’t matter that we’re underdogs. We’re just looking at the person in front of us. Your confidence comes from your work. And the biggest thing, which we all know, outside of communication is strictly effort and understanding the game.”

Fired up, the team’s Instagram account responded, “A little pre-game chat from the Miami 🐐 himself. Now we’re locked in…” It sounded like the perfect setup for another upset.

Unfortunately, the pep talk did not work as Vinyl faced defeat at the hands of Rose despite their lesser chance win against Lunar Owls, who had just lost one game in the season. This goes on to show how unpredictable the format can be. No wonder Dwyane Wade was surprised how easily his seniors ripped his side in the 3-on-3 format back in his college.