Dwyane Wade joins the roster of NBA team owners.
The Utah Jazz announced on Friday that the 13-time league All-Star will join the youngest group of owners of the NBA.
The group is led by tech entrepreneur Ryan Smith, who, along with his wife Ashley, acquired a majority stake in the Jazz at the end of 2020.
Wade and Smith have known each other for a number of years and talked about working together in different roles.
“Dwyane is not only a basketball legend, but he is also a great leader, businessman and human,” Smith said in a statement. “As we build on the incredible legacy of the Utah Jazz franchise, we are excited to add Dwyane’s experience and knowledge to the equation. Utah is a great place and I couldn’t be more excited about the future of the franchise and its future of this state. Dwyane’s influence will be important to both of us. “
Wade played 16 NBA seasons with Miami, Chicago and Cleveland before retiring at the end of the 2018/19 season. He has won three league titles and his number 3 was eliminated by the Heat last month.
“Teaming up with Ryan and the Utah Jazz is the perfect match as we share the same vision and values,” noted Wade. “This group is not only committed to building a championship franchise, but is also committed to using its platform for the better and actively creating a more inclusive and fair world. We share many of the same goals and try to go to the same places in life. “
Wade talked about joining the NBA owners in the final seasons of his career, and in 2019 wanted to discuss the possibility of joining the group as Head of the Heat. The two sides spoke later that year without reaching an agreement, and it is not known if talks ever resumed.