Dwyane Wade’s New Podcast Was Influenced by People Misspelling His Name

Most people know Dwyane Wade thanks to his amazing basketball skills, which he showed playing for many teams in the NBA, mainly the Miami Heat.

Since his retirement as a professional basketball player in April 2019, he has ventured into different businesses, with his most recent being a podcast series titled The Why with Dwyane Wade.

On January 10, 2024, The Hollywood Reporter announced Wade’s new podcast series featuring candid conversations with multiple musicians, athletes, business titans, film stars, and more.

The outlet also reported that the podcast would launch on January 17, with a two-part episode that would feature a roundtable with fellow basketball hall of famers Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, and Pau Gasol, where they would speak about NBA rivalries and their experiences.

Fast forward to the launch date of his new podcast series, Wade was exclusively interviewed by People Magazine, where the three-time NBA champion reflected on different things, including how the name of his new podcast was influenced by people misspelling his name.

Dwyane Wade after being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023 (Photo: Instagram)

Speaking about his podcast’s name, he mentions that it was taking a look back at what he has dealt with his whole life. He also mentions that the podcast’s title is a double entendre and plays on the unconventional spelling of his name.

He explained, “And that’s the ‘W’ and the ‘Y’ in my name. Everyone, even up to the Hall of Fame, people were misspelling my name. They always put the ‘A’ before the ‘Y.’ And so I’ve been dealing with the ‘Y’ for a very long time.”

As he continued, he reflected more on the podcast name and mentioned that when someone asks, “Hey, what’s your why?” it gets people to think and to pause, as it’s a powerful question that Wade thought was very important.

“But also too, just understanding what that is. When someone asks you, ‘Hey, what’s your why?’ It gets you to think. It gets you to pause, and it’s a very powerful question when people ask you that. And so I think that’s something that I thought was very important as well,” he stated.

The official cover poster for Dwyane Wade’s new podcast series, The Why with Dwyane Wade (Photo: iHeartPodcasts)

In the same interview with People Magazine, the former basketball player also talked about how he is still processing his dream of reaching the pinnacle of professional basketball. He said, “I think we all live in that imposter syndrome, right?”

“You’re going through the moment, but the moment kind of goes so fast. You’re like, ‘Did that happen? Is that real?’ And then someone would say something like, ‘Hey, how you doing, Mr. Hall of Famer?’” he concluded the statement.

Similarly, he talked about being proud to use his platform to honor the people close to him. He mentioned, “I’ve shared my stories about my family and these are personal, private stories that we don’t have to share, that we have shared.”

Wade said he didn’t share personal stories in public to gain sympathy because “we know that sometimes you go through things for others to be able to learn from as well.” “And so we’ve shared so many of our stories,” he added.

The 42-year-old Chicago native also told the outlet that family is everything, and it looks different for everyone, and he has tried to bring his loved ones along. He added that his family has given him wisdom and always supported him.

Returning to Wade’s podcast series, The Why with Dwyane Wade, it was launched on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. The podcast is a co-production of iHeartPodcasts and 59th & Prairie Entertainment, the latter being Wade’s production company.

While announcing the podcast, Wade also talked a little about the podcast and the platform iHeartPodcasts has provided. He told The Hollywood Reporter that he is always curious to learn and looks forward to sitting down and talking with his friends and people he admires.

He stated, “As someone who is always curious and wanting to learn, I am looking forward to sitting down with some of my friends, peers and people I admire most to hear more about their ‘why’ and what motivates them to get up every day to do what they do.”

In the end, he also praised iHeartPodcasts and mentioned that they are a true leader in the industry, and he is excited and grateful to partner with them for his first show.