SE: Dean Wade Loving Life as a Pro
Nov 19, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Dean Wade is living his dream life, in that it's basketball all the time. No school, tests or papers. His day starts and ends on the hardwood.
"Your whole life's about basketball now," Wade, in his first season with the G-League's Canton Charge, said in a recent interview with K-State Sports Extra. "You don't have to worry about anything else. You go to practice, then treatment, come in later if you want to shoot, but it's just basketball. It's still stressful, just like it was in college, but, outside of basketball, there's nothing else to do.
"It really clears your mind, almost, of all the clutter. Now you're in the pros and you have to worry about nothing but playing."
That's not to say Wade has stopped learning. In fact, the 6-foot-9 forward said that's all he's done since he signed a two-way contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers in July. He's been a sponge to the veteran coaches and players around him.
"I think my biggest improvement is just learning the game," Wade, who was called up to the Cavaliers on Monday and played nine minutes in a loss to the New York Knicks, said. "The NBA players, G-League players, everyone, they know the game so much better. You take things from what they know, what they say, and you learn from it. You take small things. It's definitely what I've grown the most from, learning how to play, all the openings, seeing the defense."
Wade started these lessons in the NBA Summer League. In three outings, he averaged 8.8 points, 5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2 steals in 27.9 minutes per game. He played another three games for the Cavaliers in the preseason, producing 4.7 points in his 11.4 minutes-per-game average.
At this level, where talent and basketball IQ are abundant, Wade said he learned one key hinges on his mentality.
"Everyone in this league are killers. You just have to go in with the mindset that you're the best. It's got be amplified from what you had in college. You have to be ultra-confident in yourself and your abilities," he said. "It's kind of the same as in college but it just has to be amplified because everyone in the (pros) is playing for something more. You just have to be one of the ones that really proves yourself."
Wade did not take long to do that for Canton, where he will spend most of his first season as his two-way contract limits him to 45 days on the Cavaliers' roster.
He started off his G-League career with an eye-opening performance. He scored 23 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in Canton's season opener on November 1. He made 8-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range. He also blocked three shots.
Through four games, he's averaging 14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Wade said he's felt like he's belonged at the NBA level from his first day in the organization. The Cavaliers' coaching staff and players helped reinforce that belief. Still, there have been some surreal moments for the St. John, Kansas native. Playing with Kevin Love, someone he's grown up watching on TV, for instance. Competing at The Garden, a basketball mecca and home the Boston Celtics, was another.
"When you take a step back and really think about it," Wade said, "it's pretty amazing."
In a different way, Wade's first game with the Cavaliers this summer was also somewhat amazing. Ironic may be a better descriptor, as Wade's first professional game matched him up against his former teammate, Barry Brown, Jr., who was playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves at the time and is now with their G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.
"It was super cool. It was fun," Wade said of the July 5 Summer League game against Brown, which Minnesota won by 10. "We talked a little bit in the first half but then we both got a little too tired to talk in the second half, but we were still bumping into each other. It was nice, after the game, catching up and talking to him a little bit, talking to his pop, who was there. I'm happy for him. I'm glad we could both live out our dreams.
"We have a long way to go, both of us, but it's a great start."
Brown, averaging 7.8 points and 2.0 assists through four games with the Wolves, and Wade both returned to Manhattan before their professional careers really got going.
The occasion: Picking up their Big 12 Championship rings. They were honored during K-State football's season opener. Wade said it perfectly capped an unforgettable end to their Wildcat careers.
"It was crazy," he said. "Manhattan, all of the K-State fans, they showed me love. It was literally like a dream. It was amazing, everyone stopping and talking to me. Just getting the ring, seeing Coach (Bruce) Weber, all the coaching staff again. I was there for a few days working out, so it was super fun. I still miss that place. To wrap it up that way, it was really like a dream."
The experience reminded Wade of the number one thing he'll take from his time to K-State into his professional career. It has literally nothing to do with basketball, too.
"How to treat people. Everyone at K-State is super nice, treated me the way I now treat everyone else. That's one of the biggest life lessons is everyone's going through something, so be considerate," Wade said. "I miss so many great people I met in Manhattan. I can't even name all the great people I met there. I have connections that will be lifetime connections and people I will talk to every day from K-State. Having those connections throughout life means the world to me.
"It's the best decision I ever made."
Dean Wade is living his dream life, in that it's basketball all the time. No school, tests or papers. His day starts and ends on the hardwood.
"Your whole life's about basketball now," Wade, in his first season with the G-League's Canton Charge, said in a recent interview with K-State Sports Extra. "You don't have to worry about anything else. You go to practice, then treatment, come in later if you want to shoot, but it's just basketball. It's still stressful, just like it was in college, but, outside of basketball, there's nothing else to do.
"It really clears your mind, almost, of all the clutter. Now you're in the pros and you have to worry about nothing but playing."
That's not to say Wade has stopped learning. In fact, the 6-foot-9 forward said that's all he's done since he signed a two-way contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers in July. He's been a sponge to the veteran coaches and players around him.
"I think my biggest improvement is just learning the game," Wade, who was called up to the Cavaliers on Monday and played nine minutes in a loss to the New York Knicks, said. "The NBA players, G-League players, everyone, they know the game so much better. You take things from what they know, what they say, and you learn from it. You take small things. It's definitely what I've grown the most from, learning how to play, all the openings, seeing the defense."
Wade started these lessons in the NBA Summer League. In three outings, he averaged 8.8 points, 5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2 steals in 27.9 minutes per game. He played another three games for the Cavaliers in the preseason, producing 4.7 points in his 11.4 minutes-per-game average.
At this level, where talent and basketball IQ are abundant, Wade said he learned one key hinges on his mentality.
"Everyone in this league are killers. You just have to go in with the mindset that you're the best. It's got be amplified from what you had in college. You have to be ultra-confident in yourself and your abilities," he said. "It's kind of the same as in college but it just has to be amplified because everyone in the (pros) is playing for something more. You just have to be one of the ones that really proves yourself."
Wade did not take long to do that for Canton, where he will spend most of his first season as his two-way contract limits him to 45 days on the Cavaliers' roster.
He started off his G-League career with an eye-opening performance. He scored 23 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in Canton's season opener on November 1. He made 8-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range. He also blocked three shots.
Through four games, he's averaging 14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Wade said he's felt like he's belonged at the NBA level from his first day in the organization. The Cavaliers' coaching staff and players helped reinforce that belief. Still, there have been some surreal moments for the St. John, Kansas native. Playing with Kevin Love, someone he's grown up watching on TV, for instance. Competing at The Garden, a basketball mecca and home the Boston Celtics, was another.
"When you take a step back and really think about it," Wade said, "it's pretty amazing."
In a different way, Wade's first game with the Cavaliers this summer was also somewhat amazing. Ironic may be a better descriptor, as Wade's first professional game matched him up against his former teammate, Barry Brown, Jr., who was playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves at the time and is now with their G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.
"It was super cool. It was fun," Wade said of the July 5 Summer League game against Brown, which Minnesota won by 10. "We talked a little bit in the first half but then we both got a little too tired to talk in the second half, but we were still bumping into each other. It was nice, after the game, catching up and talking to him a little bit, talking to his pop, who was there. I'm happy for him. I'm glad we could both live out our dreams.
"We have a long way to go, both of us, but it's a great start."
Brown, averaging 7.8 points and 2.0 assists through four games with the Wolves, and Wade both returned to Manhattan before their professional careers really got going.
The occasion: Picking up their Big 12 Championship rings. They were honored during K-State football's season opener. Wade said it perfectly capped an unforgettable end to their Wildcat careers.
"It was crazy," he said. "Manhattan, all of the K-State fans, they showed me love. It was literally like a dream. It was amazing, everyone stopping and talking to me. Just getting the ring, seeing Coach (Bruce) Weber, all the coaching staff again. I was there for a few days working out, so it was super fun. I still miss that place. To wrap it up that way, it was really like a dream."
The experience reminded Wade of the number one thing he'll take from his time to K-State into his professional career. It has literally nothing to do with basketball, too.
"How to treat people. Everyone at K-State is super nice, treated me the way I now treat everyone else. That's one of the biggest life lessons is everyone's going through something, so be considerate," Wade said. "I miss so many great people I met in Manhattan. I can't even name all the great people I met there. I have connections that will be lifetime connections and people I will talk to every day from K-State. Having those connections throughout life means the world to me.
"It's the best decision I ever made."
Players Mentioned
G
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