RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Dwyane Wade, a 13-time NBA All-Star and a three-time NBA champion, was once a 5-year-old boy whose dad would take him to play basketball in high school gyms on Friday nights and watch Michael Jordan’s “Come Fly With Me” VHS tape religiously.
Sunday afternoon, he added yet another accolade to his list, seven years after retiring from the court. But this one was for all the kids still in south suburban Robbins, reflecting his younger self.
His hometown renamed the street he grew up on after him, unveiling the signs at a ceremony Sunday. Not just honorarily either — South Claire Boulevard is now Dwyane Wade Boulevard.
Dwyane Wade (right) and his father Dwyane Wade Sr. point at the newly unveiled street sign on Sunday. “Before the world ever saw Dwyane Wade, Robbins saw me,” the younger Wade said to the kids in the crowd. “Not the champion or Hall of Famer, just a kid whose family was looking for a chance. … Don’t wait for the world to see you; see yourself first and believe in you.”
Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times
“How do you put into words what it feels like to be honored on a street that helped raise you?” Wade asked the crowd. “I’ve been blessed with a life I never could’ve imagined. … But standing here today, seeing familiar faces, being on this street I’ve run up and down so many times, it feels different than anywhere else I’ve been in this world.”
Wade chose to follow his brother to the local Richards High School as opposed to Chicago’s Whitney Young, which is known for fostering basketball talent. He went on to lead Marquette University to the Final Four before being drafted fifth overall in 2003.
He spent most of his 16-year career with the Heat, along with stints on the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers before retiring in 2019. He racked up numerous team records and an Olympic gold medal as Team USA’s leading scorer in 2008.
All of this culminated in his induction into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2023 , and now, his childhood street being renamed after him.
Rock Flemings showed up to the event wearing his college jersey, which Wade later signed for her. She said it was the closest she could get to his high school jersey, the only one she doesn’t own.
The Philadelphia resident had been in town for the WNBA All-Star weekend, but knew she had to be there to see a player who influenced her own style on the court.
“He was just a different player,” Flemings said. “Now I just wish he’d come back and play in Philly with LeBron [James].”
The sign has meaning beyond sporting success, though, Wade said.
Michelle Stewart (left), and her kids Brenae Stewart and Brenson Stewart wait to get a pair of shoes signed by Dwyane Wade. “This shows you can be from anywhere,” Brenae Stewart said of their hometown hero and his humble beginnings. “I’m from Robbins, I can do this. I could do what he did or better. I just have to prove myself.”
Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times
Brenae Stewart, a former cheerleader with the Robbins Eagles program and now a hip-hop dancer, attended with her mom and younger brother. She’s now helping to coach younger cheerleaders as she continues to dance, but seeing the success of others from her hometown gave her “momentum.”
“This shows you can be from anywhere,” the 17-year-old said. “I’m from Robbins, I can do this. I could do what he did or better. I just have to prove myself.”
Gywon Garth, a born and raised Robbins resident, arrived wearing the jersey he bought shortly after Wade was drafted in 2003.
Garth is still local and works in construction. He had a hand in building a dollar store near the ceremony that will now have a Dwyane Wade Boulevard address.
Dwyane Wade takes pictures with fans following the street renaming ceremony. “How do you put into words what it feels like to be honored on a street that helped raise you?” Wade asked the crowd. “I’ve been blessed with a life I never could’ve imagined. … But standing here today, seeing familiar faces, being on this street I’ve run up and down so many times, it feels different than anywhere else I’ve been in this world.”
Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times
While he considers Wade one of the best players the league has ever seen, he said he hopes the street brings the village investment and attention for its history and contributions. Robbins is where the Tuskegee Airmen trained, and the home of actresses Keke Palmer and Nichelle Nichols — Uhura from “Star Trek” — among many blues and soul artists.
“Robbins has a lot of history people don’t know about, so I hope this opens it up more,” the 54-year-old said.
Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant shared a similar sentiment and said the attention has already been helping.
Among others chipping in to help with additions to the village’s recently revamped youth athletic facilities, the Chicago Sky’s foundation was repainting its basketball courts.
Gabrielle Union, wife of Dwyane Wade, and daughters Kaavia James Union Wade and Zaya Wade (right) sit on stage during the renaming ceremony on Sunday.
Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times
“If the kids don’t have the resources and amenities to be the next Dwyane, it can never happen,” he said. “You need the opportunities, so the village plays its part by establishing that infrastructure.”
Amid chants of Robbins’ ZIP code, 60472, Wade took a moment to directly address the kids, many of whom stared intently as they gripped Sharpies and shoes in hopes of an autograph.
“Before the world ever saw Dwyane Wade, Robbins saw me,” Wade said to the young locals watching. “Not the champion or Hall of Famer, just a kid whose family was looking for a chance. … Don’t wait for the world to see you; see yourself first and believe in you.”
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