"We're proud alums" - Dwyane Wade reacts to Marquette Golden Eagles securing spot in NCAA Tournament 

Three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade posted a tribute to the current iteration of the Marquette Golden Eagles as they take on the March Madness. Wade, who played for the Golden Eagles for two years, expressed his feelings as an alumni after being selected in the NCAA tournament.

The Miami Heat legend posted a picture of the team in his Instagram story on Thursday, a few hours before the Golden Eagles face New Mexico in the first round of the NCAA tournament. In the IG story, he congratulated the team for making it to the tournament.

“Congrats on another tournament nod!!! We’re proud alums,” he captioned.

Dwyane Wade hyped his college team, Marquette Golden Eagles, on Instagram ahead of March Madness. (Credits: IG/Dwyane Wade)

Wade played for Marquette from 2001 to 2003 before being drafted by the Miami Heat in the 2003 NBA draft.

Dwyane Wade honed his lethal scoring in Marquette. He averaged a team-leading 21.5 points per game in his sophomore year to lift the Golden Eagles to a 27-6 win-loss record in the 2002-2003 season.

With his performances in his second collegiate season, Wade was named the 2003 Conference USA Player of the Year. Marquette retired his No. 3 jersey in 2007, a year after leading the Heat to his first NBA title.

Wade is considered one of, if not the, most outstanding players from Marquette’s men’s basketball program. Among other prominent products from the program are Steve Novak, Wesley Matthews, and Dominik James.

Dwyane Wade retired from the NBA in 2019, ending a career that saw him win a Finals MVP in 2006, make 13 All-Star game appearances, win one Olympic gold medal and the 2009 scoring title. He was also named to the NBA's 75th-anniversary team.

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Dwyane Wade donates $3 million to Marquette to improve literacy, and men’s basketball facility

Dwyane Wade has continued to impact Marquette’s community. In 2024, the Heat legend donated $3 million to the university to improve its reading and scholarship programs and men’s basketball facility.

In a statement, Wade credited the school for shaping who he is today. The 43-year-old hopes his initiatives could impact lives in the Marquette.

“Marquette shaped me into the person I am today. It means a great deal to me and my family to be able to give back to take the university to the next level. My hope is to continue to transform lives through higher education,” Wade said.

Wade also spoke at the school's commencement in 2022, when he received his honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Dwyane Wade's relationship with basketball continued off the court as a businessman, with minority ownership in the Utah Jazz (NBA) and the Chicago Sky (WNBA).