Future NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade just added “owner” to his résumé.
Wade recently announced that he joined the ownership group of the WNBA team, the Chicago Sky, ESPN reports
. Wade is added to the list of the latest high-profile figure to invest in the league in its 27-year history. The 13-time NBA All-Star says he wanted to show his support in the best way he knew other than just talking about it. “We all talk about support, and support looks different for everyone,” Wade said. “And so instead of tweeting out and saying ‘go support the W,’ instead of showing up at the game and supporting, I wanted to take it to that next level, and this was the next level for me.”The father of four is the newest investor in the franchise. In June, the team sold close to a 10% stake of the team—an $85 million valuation—to a group that includes MLB’s Chicago Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts. This isn’t the first professional sports team investment for Wade. In 2021, he purchased a minority stake in the Utah Jazz, which grew the value of the team—going from $1.75 billion to $2.25 billion.
Wade said a partnership with the Sky just “made sense” to him as a native of the Windy City. Wade gives flowers to his mother, JoLinda, for introducing him to the brand. “She was a fan of the Chicago Sky before I became a fan of the Chicago Sky,” Wade said. He also has a close relationship with the team’s former head coach and general manager, James Wade.
Sky Co-Owner and Operating Chairman Nadia Rawlinson said Wade received major points for his interaction with the team during a visit to the team’s practice facility and praised him for wanting to be a part of the team’s history. “He has made an impact
now in business and philanthropy in really significant ways that are abiding and authentic and true, and that is who we are at the Chicago Sky,” Rawlinson said. “And so the fact that now he can help us be part of his story with that is extraordinary.”According to Sportico, the team hasn’t announced how much Wade invested or what his ownership stake will be as the sale still needs formal approval by the league’s Board of Governors.