Basketball Legend Dwyane Wade Honored with Emotional Tribute for His Many Faith-Filled Kindnesses

Will Maule : Apr 12, 2019
Faithwire

"I'm a firm believer in the Bible. I believe everything in there. I'm given so much, so giving 10 percent back to God is nothing to me. That's why I do it, and I don't think twice about it." – Dwyane Wade

(Miami, FL) — [Faithwire.com] Throughout his final season, basketball legend Dwyane Wade has been swapping jerseys with some of the biggest names in the NBA: Nowitzki, James, Beal — he has gathered quite an eclectic all-star mix. But there were five more individuals who wanted to gift him with a few memorable items before his career came to a close. (Image source: Budweiser/YouTube)

In a new ad titled, "This Bud's For 3," Wade is positioned on a dimly lit basketball court as he awaits the arrival of five mystery guests, whom he assumed were going to be fellow players looking to swap jerseys with him. Instead, he is greeted by five rather special fans who all had one thing in common — they had all experienced Wade's kindness.

One of those to address the athlete was Andrea Ghersi, the sister of Parkland shooting victim, Joaquin Oliver.

"You mean so much to us, and my brother loved you from the beginning," Ghersi said, whose brother was buried in a "Wade" replica jersey. Honoring her brother back in February, Wade himself wore shoes that had "Joaquin Oliver" inscribed on the heel — a gesture that meant so much to the grief-stricken family.

In exchange, Ghersi presented Wade with Joaquin's own basketball jersey that he had worn in the season preceding his untimely death.

Wade's mother, JoLinda, who is a former drug addict and dealer, was the final guest to appear before the all-star athlete, which made for the most emotional moment of them all.

"You were the joy of my life, but that day that I just couldn't do it no more," JoLinda said of her criminal past. "That day was the day that I had to turn myself in, and I could just see the tears fall from your eyes."

"Your mama went down a road, Dwyane, that I didn't ever think I would come back from," she recalled. "But on that road, I noticed you kept showing up. Dwyane, because you believed in me, when I got out of prison, I was a different woman."

Wade never gave up on his mom, who, through her shortcomings, believes in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. In 2008, shortly after she had been released from prison, the star athlete even went as far as buying a church for her.

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