The Sky’s investor group could be growing, and the newest potential addition brings with him a legacy of basketball excellence and community involvement.
Dwyane Wade spent Tuesday afternoon with the Sky at practice, and according to two sources, the three-time NBA champion from Chicago has expressed interest in investing in the WNBA franchise.
“It was a great day,” Wade said on his way out of Sachs Recreational Center in Deerfield, where the Sky practice.
Wade was with Sky principal owner Michael Alter for the majority of his afternoon after addressing the team before practice began. He sat courtside with Alter, observing practice before concluding the day with a picture with the entire team.
When asked about Wade’s interest in investing, Alter said he had “no comment.”
Wade’s cousin, Sky coach/GM James Wade, also had no comment regarding Dwyane’s status as an investor. He said he often has family at practice and Dwyane is no exception.
He was generous, though, in his comments about what investment from the 13-time NBA All-Star would mean to the team.
“It would mean a lot, of course,” James said. “Especially when you’re talking about the type of person that he is and how he does stuff for people. He’s recognized and has a reputation of supporting not only this league but supporting everyone. So, it would be special if something like that were to happen.”
Dwyane already has extensive experience in the sports ownership world. He owns a stake in the Utah Jazz and MLS team Real Salt Lake.
Outside of his potential investment in the Sky, Wade has been a fierce advocate of the WNBA. In his message to the team ahead of practice, he said he had an interest in continuing to help grow the league.
“He wants to see the game grow,” Dana Evans said. “That means a lot to us. We need people like him. We need more NBA players to help expand the WNBA, and he talked a lot about that. It was pretty encouraging.”
