“I wanted to beat LeBron and Carmelo and Chris Paul more than anybody in the NBA” - Dwyane Wade laughs at notion of not being able to compete against friends in league

Dwyane Wade was a fierce competitor who took pride in going against the best in the NBA.

He dismisses the idea that friends cannot be rivals on the court, as most players are friendly off the court. Most of these stars have played against and with each other since they were kids, either in AAU circuits or college basketball.

Wade said:

"I always laughed at the notion that you cannot compete as friends in the NBA like that is the silliest notion in the world. because most guys are friends. you know, it's just it's the competitiveness, and you got to turn it off when you got on different jerseys. But you see guys can play together a year after they've had a scuffle on the court."

NBA players aren't fighting or arguing off the court. In fact, many of the players practice and rehab together in the offseason. While arguing about which player is better, fans and media often forget that most players have been friends for years. Wade continued:

"And I just think...now in the media, we just blow things up, and we make it bigger than it should but I wanted to beat LeBron and Carmelo and Chris Paul more than anybody in the NBA, and I wanted to play well against them as well."

Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James were all part of the same draft class in 2003. James was the first overall pick, while Melo went third overall, and Wade was the fifth pick. Chris Paul was drafted two years later in 2005 as the fourth overall pick. Over the years, Wade faced off his friends on numerous occasions and had some intense battles.

However, he couldn't always get the best of his peers; he has a losing record against all of them. "The Flash" is 15-16 against "The King", 12-19 against Melo and 7-15 against CP3.

Wade's comments were covered on "The Book of Basketball 2.0," Bill Simmons' podcast on The Ringer's network. The podcast started a segment called "Icons Club," wherein they discuss the league's history. In the eighth episode, titled "Modern Icons," they discussed about active superstar icons who have changed the game: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and James.

When you're on the chapter of James, Wade is bound to be discussed. Wade is arguably James' best teammate over the years and vice versa. The two of them were fierce rivals on the court and also excellent teammates during their stint together with the Miami Heat. They went to four consecutive NBA Finals (2011-14) and won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013.

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Dwyane Wade launches baby care product line with his wife Gabrielle Union

Gabrielle Union, Kaavia James Union Wade and Dwyane Wade at Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports in 2019

Dwyane Wade has expanded his line of products and ventures by launching a baby skincare brand named "Proudly".

He is the co-founder alongside his wife Gabrielle Union. They decided to start the company after the birth of their daughter Kaavia James Union Wade. They announced their venture in a statement covered by Women's Wear Daily:

"From the moment our daughter Kaavia James entered this world, we knew we'd teach her to embrace her skin—its beauty, power, wisdom and magic."

The product line specifically caters to the African-American community, showcasing skincare items tailored to children of color. The statement continued:

"These products are meant to fill a gap for parents of color, like ourselves, by offering them intentionally developed formulas that put our children’s needs at the core. Our hope is that for the first time ever, parents of children of color don’t need to spend money on products that aren’t effective or worry about what might irritate their children’s skin. We’ve done the work, so they don’t have to.”

As reported by theGrio, the skincare line features easily accessible products, all priced under $12. Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Unio want to reach the communities of color and give them an opportunity to afford skincare items for their toddlers that is specifically built for their skin.