NBA legend and three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade will be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Saturday. It’s a milestone not only for Wade, but also for Marquette University.
Wade will become the first Marquette alum in the Basketball Hall of Fame. But the 13-time All-Star doesn’t believe he’ll stand alone for very long.
During a press conference on Friday, Wade told reporters he expects to be joined in Springfield by another Marquette graduate — Jimmy Butler — in the not-so-distant future.
Dwyane Wade on being the first hall of famer from Marquette.
“I’m the first but I won’t be the last because Jimmy Butler went to Marquette.” pic.twitter.com/NeL0EyXDeK
— Will Manso (@WillManso) August 11, 2023
“I’m the first but I won’t be the last because Jimmy Butler went to Marquette,” Wade said.
Butler may not have a resume built like Wade, but it’s certainly Hall of Fame-worthy and improving. The 33-year-old is a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA player. He’s also been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team five times and has two Eastern Conference championships under his belt. The one thing he’s lacking is an NBA championship.
Over 12 seasons, Butler has averaged 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game. That’s good enough for a 73 percent Hall of Fame chance based on Basketball-Reference’s Hall of Fame probability calculations.
Butler has two years remaining on his contract with the Miami Heat plus a player option in 2025-2026. He can certainly pad his resume over the next two or three seasons. And if he picks up a title along the way, he’ll become a near lock to join Wade as the next Marquette player in the Hall of Fame.
