Every summer Chicago native Dwyane Wade spends his off-season in his hometown, because he keeps it real like that. When the icy grip of winter wasn’t on our shoulders, UPTOWN magazine chopped it up with Wade at his River West townhouse about his relationship with Gabrielle Union, his “normal” townhouse in Chi-Town and why he decided to stay in Miami instead of coming home to play for the Chicago Bulls.
Excerpts from his interview with UPTOWN and Wade’s swanky robe after the jump.
On his budding relationship with Gabrielle Union:
“I found someone I have a great relationship with and that was the most important thing. You have to like the person you’re around before you can say you love them,” Wade says. “That’s the biggest thing right now; we want to make sure that we stay liking each other.”
On why he doesn’t need a large home in Chicago where his kids live:
“I don’t need something too big. I’m in Miami most of the time. And I fell in love with [this property] once I was able to put my own personality into the house,” says Wade. “Every time I walk in my door, [I am reminded of] the journey that it took to get here and the hard work that I have to put in to continue to stay here.”
On Deciding to Stay With Miami:
“I grew up a Bulls fan and, you know, the whole story about this being a hometown kid coming back – it would have all been perfect. It would have been a great ending to an already good book, but it didn’t happen,” says Wade on his decision to turn down an offer in Chicago. “Miami has become my home away from home…The [Miami fans] have embraced me since day one. I can’t ask for anything more. I’m happy.”
To read more, grab the latest issue of Uptown magazine.
