"Back when my bank account said insufficient funds": Dwyane Wade reminisces on humble beginnings with never-seen-before throwback snap

Most college students know the feeling of seeing their bank account balance drop agonizingly close to zero, and former NBA star Dwyane Wade was no different.

Wade played 18 seasons in the NBA with three organizations and was regarded as one of the league's elite players in his prime. Over that stretch, he received several lucrative contracts and endorsement deals and accumulated a large amount of money along the way. However, things were not always easy for the Illinois native.

On Saturday, the former Miami Heat guard shared a never-seen-before throwback snap on his Instagram account from his college days at Marquette University. A young Wade can be seen posing for a photo on campus, and he added a humbling message to go along with the classic pic.

"Back when my bank account said insufficient funds," Wade wrote.

D. Wade posts a photo of himself from his college days on social media. Photo Credit: Dwyane Wade IG account.

Wade was a highly recruited prospect coming out of Harold L. Richards High School in Illinois and chose to develop his game with Marquette in the neighboring state of Wisconsin.

Wade was a consensus All-American and named the Conference USA Men's Basketball Player of the Year in his junior year at Marquette. In 2003, he led the school to its first NCAA Final Four appearance in 26 years. Wade made such an impact at the university that his No. 3 jersey was retired by the program in 2007.

With new name, image and likeness regulations in place, college athletes are now able to earn money and be compensated. Those rules were implemented in 2021. Wade could have surely made a small fortune as one of the top college basketball players in the nation but was not permitted to at the time.

Gabrielle Union congratulates husband Dwyane Wade after NBA star gets a street named after him

Former Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade is honored with 'Dwyane Wade Blvd' at halftime during a game against the Detroit Pistons at Kaseya Center. Photo Credit: Imagn

Dwyane Wade had a phenomenal 15-year career with the Miami Heat and helped guide the organization to three NBA championships between 2006 and 2013. He is regarded as the franchise's greatest player by many experts. In October, the city of Miami honored Wade for his contributions by naming a street after the NBA star.

Wade's wife, actress Gabrielle Union, was thrilled when the news broke and took to social media to congratulate her husband on the monumental achievement.

"Surreal. And so damn proud of @dwyanewade and it's only just the beginning," Union wrote on Instagram.

Gabrielle Union congratulates husband Dwyane Wade after NBA star has Miami street named after him. Photo Credits: Gabrielle Union's IG page

Wade played 948 games for the Miami Heat between 2003 and 2019. He finished with an incredible 21,556 points during his spell with the franchise and remains the Heat's all-time points leader by a significant margin.