American basketball star Zaire Wade doesn’t believe the move to “the motherland” is a step down in his career. The 21-year-old is convinced he is on the right path and excited by the opportunity to embrace his roots.
After recently joining South African side Cape Town Tigers, the former Salt Lake City player in the G League says he is ready to fully embrace his African heritage.
Wade, the eldest son of NBA legend Dwyane Wade, touched down in the country last week. He is set to take part in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) season three in the colours of Tigers as one of their new recruits ahead of the campaign.
After all, Zaire was named after the Central African country the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country was formerly known as Zaire before it was renamed, and Wade has also announced intentions to represent the DRC at international level.
“I’m really excited to be here, it’s my first time in Africa so I’ll be playing outside the United States of America for the first time,” said Wade.
“I’m just happy to be on this continent so I can learn about my heritage, my culture and just learn about where my name, Zaire, came from.
“That’s just going to be fun, I can’t wait. And obviously I’m here to contribute to the team (Tigers) and just make them better than last season.
“The team was already strong last year, they have a lot of good players who can play and score, so me coming here is just to add to the quality and experience of the team.”
Wade’s coach, Raphael Edwards, who is also the co-founder of the team, can’t wait to see what Wade will bring to the table. “I saw some footage of him playing in the G League and I thought he was going to add something we were lacking,” said Edwards.
“He’s an old school point guard, a pass first point guard and with the firepower that we have I think he’ll be a great addition that’ll make things run smoothly.
“Of course, he’s Dwyane Wade’s son so the pedigree and basketball IQ is there. I’ve been watching him closely and he’s developed his game well.”
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