Dwyane Wade sits down with pioneers in sports, fashion, music, and business for an intimate conversation about their origins, and the reasons they keep pushing to innovate. These are all-time greats talking through memorable moments from their careers, telling intimate, behind-the-scenes anecdotes that we never saw in the press, journeys, struggles, triumphs, and that shared excitement as they push forward to their next challenge.

WY Network by Dwyane Wade

Passing the Torch: Young NBA Stars Are Taking Over, AAU Hoops, & Why D-Wade Loves Today’s Game

In this episode of The Timeout, Dwyane and Bob sit down with Dallas Mavericks rookie Morez Johnson for a real conversation about the journey from Riverdale to the NBA.

Morez covers growing up in Riverdale, playing with Chicago Demons and Mean Streets AAU, leaving Illinois through the transfer portal, and choosing Michigan because Coach Dusty May was locked in on player development. They won a national title, and then draft night came and he ended up in Dallas playing for Coach May again.

Dwyane connects over their shared Chicago and Harvey roots, gets into what the rookie wall actually feels like before All-Star break, and tells Morez to document everything, study real film not just highlights, and never leave anything on the table in year one. Closes by handing over his number for whenever Morez needs him.

 

Music Credit: Khari Mateen.

What We Discussed:
0:00 - Introduction
1:26 - Growing Up In Riverdale
2:13 Long-Term NBA Mindset
3:15 Time At Illinois And The Decision to Transfer
5:00 Transferring To Michigan
5:59 Winning The National Championship 
7:23 Building A Relationship With Coach May
8:18 NBA Draft Night
9:46 Chicago Roots
11:11 Family Vulnerability And Telling The Draft Story
11:53 Veteran Advice: Don't Leave Anything On The Table
13:05 Navigating The NBA Rookie Wall
15:03 Staying Present And Documenting The Journey
15:34 Daily Routines And Finding Time For Extra Work
17:10 Maximizing Idle Time And Film Study
18:39 Overcoming Adversity
20:02 Mentorship Offer And Encouragement
20:41 Dallas Outlook
21:28 Last Day Before The Draft

In this episode of The Timeout, Dwyane and Bob sit down with Dallas Mavericks rookie Morez Johnson for a real conversation about the journey from Riverdale to the NBA.
Morez covers growing up in Riverdale, playing with Chicago Demons and Mean Streets AAU, leaving Illinois through the transfer portal, and choosing Michigan because Coach Dusty May was locked in on player development. They won a national title, and then draft night came and he ended up in Dallas playing for Coach May again.
Dwyane connects over their shared Chicago and Harvey roots, gets into what the rookie wall actually feels like before All-Star break, and tells Morez to document everything, study real film not just highlights, and never leave anything on the table in year one. Closes by handing over his number for whenever Morez needs him.
&nbsp;
Music Credit: Khari Mateen.
What We Discussed: 0:00 - Introduction 1:26 - Growing Up In Riverdale 2:13 Long-Term NBA Mindset 3:15 Time At Illinois And The Decision to Transfer 5:00 Transferring To Michigan 5:59 Winning The National Championship 7:23 Building A Relationship With Coach May 8:18 NBA Draft Night 9:46 Chicago Roots 11:11 Family Vulnerability And Telling The Draft Story 11:53 Veteran Advice: Don't Leave Anything On The Table 13:05 Navigating The NBA Rookie Wall 15:03 Staying Present And Documenting The Journey 15:34 Daily Routines And Finding Time For Extra Work 17:10 Maximizing Idle Time And Film Study 18:39 Overcoming Adversity 20:02 Mentorship Offer And Encouragement 20:41 Dallas Outlook 21:28 Last Day Before The Draft

Dwyane Wade Gives Morez Johnson Jr. the Advice He Needs Before NBA Rookie Season 

In this episode of The Timeout, Dwyane Wade, D Wright, Bob, and Chris Johnson dive deep into Dorell Wright’s unconventional journey to the NBA and the lessons learned along the way.

The crew rewinds to 2004, when Dorell entered the NBA Draft straight from prep school with just four years of organized hoops under his belt. Miami took a chance—and Heat fans let their boos fly, wanting Jameer Nelson instead. But Dorell wasn’t fazed, laser-focused on escaping his “war zone” upbringing and stepping into the league with quiet confidence.

Wade, now a vet, admits he was among the doubters, while Wright shares the raw emotions of draft day and the pressure of proving himself. Pat Riley’s mentorship, Miami’s nightlife, and real brotherhood come up as Dorell reflects on finding his place—on and off the court.

Key themes hit hard: how it's okay to pivot, grow, and not know who you’ll be from day one. And how the streets treat ballplayers differently depending on the zip code, L.A. vs small-town realities.

Music Credit: Khari Mateen.

What We Discussed:
0:00 Introduction 
01:35 D Wright: Humble Beginnings
09:26 From Chicago To La, Baseball Roots At Holly Park
12:49 From Baseball Diamonds To Basketball Courts
15:37 Golf Chats, Legends & The Rise Of Russ
19:46 Transitioning From Baseball To NBA
28:04 From Southwest Dreams To NBA Dreams
30:53 Draft Day Doubts, Betting On The Dream
41:23 From Booed To Beloved
46:52 Drafting & Dreaming: Feeling Meant To Be

 

In this episode of The Timeout, Dwyane Wade, D Wright, Bob, and Chris Johnson dive deep into Dorell Wright&rsquo;s unconventional journey to the NBA and the lessons learned along the way.
The crew rewinds to 2004, when Dorell entered the NBA Draft straight from prep school with just four years of organized hoops under his belt. Miami took a chance&mdash;and Heat fans let their boos fly, wanting Jameer Nelson instead. But Dorell wasn&rsquo;t fazed, laser-focused on escaping his &ldquo;war zone&rdquo; upbringing and stepping into the league with quiet confidence.
Wade, now a vet, admits he was among the doubters, while Wright shares the raw emotions of draft day and the pressure of proving himself. Pat Riley&rsquo;s mentorship, Miami&rsquo;s nightlife, and real brotherhood come up as Dorell reflects on finding his place&mdash;on and off the court.
Key themes hit hard: how it's okay to pivot, grow, and not know who you&rsquo;ll be from day one. And how the streets treat ballplayers differently depending on the zip code, L.A. vs small-town realities.
Music Credit: Khari Mateen.
What We Discussed:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">0:00 Introduction&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">01:35 D Wright: Humble Beginnings</li>
<li aria-level="1">09:26 From Chicago To La, Baseball Roots At Holly Park</li>
<li aria-level="1">12:49 From Baseball Diamonds To Basketball Courts</li>
<li aria-level="1">15:37 Golf Chats, Legends &amp; The Rise Of Russ</li>
<li aria-level="1">19:46 Transitioning From Baseball To NBA</li>
<li aria-level="1">28:04 From Southwest Dreams To NBA Dreams</li>
<li aria-level="1">30:53 Draft Day Doubts, Betting On The Dream</li>
<li aria-level="1">41:23 From Booed To Beloved</li>
<li aria-level="1">46:52 Drafting &amp; Dreaming: Feeling Meant To Be</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

Before Steph Curry & Klay Thompson, There Was Dorell Wright

In this episode of The Checkin with Dwyane Wade, Dwyane, Bob, and Dorell Wright turn the spotlight on co-host Chris Johnson for part one of his full story.

Chris opens up about growing up in Waco, Texas with two supportive fathers, a mother who never said a negative word about his biological dad, and a grandfather named Shot Shot who ran a barbecue business and whistled from blocks away when the streetlights came on. He refused to change his last name at 10 because Magic Johnson was the coldest player he’d ever seen, and his mother used his child support checks to teach him banking and let him buy Jordans and Starter jackets.

He talks about getting subbed out at the park as a kid, training alone on his imagination, a coach who slid plays to him on index cards during history class, and deciding at 13 that if the pros didn’t work out he was going to be one of the best coaches in the game. He also covers rupturing his Achilles, watching 9/11 unfold helpless in his mother’s bed, earning a master’s in counseling at 22 with a 4.2 GPA, and coaching a 16-0 national championship football team before getting his real shot in basketball.

Music Credit: Khari Mateen.

What We Discussed: 


0:00 - Introduction


2:36 - The Family Height Debate and Genealogy


4:19 - Early Athletic Beginnings and Waco Roots


5:54 - Growing Up with Two Fathers in a Blue-Collar Home


8:01 - The Impact of a Mother’s Narrative


10:14 - Choosing Johnson and Financial Lessons from Child Support


14:55 - Discovering His Stepfather and Generation Photos


18:32 - Sharecropper Roots, Height, and Son Isaiah


21:44 - Texas Football Culture and Street Games


24:10 - Grandfather Shot Shot and Barbecue Business


26:42 - Overcoming Playground Rejection and Becoming Multi-Sport


31:40 - Instilling Work Ethic and the Ambition at 13


34:43 - Preacher Roots, Church Life, and Competitive Instincts


39:24 - Mentor Coach Dwayne Silver and the 13-Year-Old Promise


44:43 - VHS Highlight Tapes, Zone Defense, and High School Dominance


50:54 - The Achilles Injury and Transition to Graduate Assistant


52:15 - Loneliness, September 11th, and Critiques of College Systems


59:51 - Master’s in Counseling and Emotional Intelligence


1:02:06 - Coaching High School Football and Basketball in Texas

In this episode of The Checkin with Dwyane Wade, Dwyane, Bob, and Dorell Wright turn the spotlight on co-host Chris Johnson for part one of his full story.
Chris opens up about growing up in Waco, Texas with two supportive fathers, a mother who never said a negative word about his biological dad, and a grandfather named Shot Shot who ran a barbecue business and whistled from blocks away when the streetlights came on. He refused to change his last name at 10 because Magic Johnson was the coldest player he&rsquo;d ever seen, and his mother used his child support checks to teach him banking and let him buy Jordans and Starter jackets.
He talks about getting subbed out at the park as a kid, training alone on his imagination, a coach who slid plays to him on index cards during history class, and deciding at 13 that if the pros didn&rsquo;t work out he was going to be one of the best coaches in the game. He also covers rupturing his Achilles, watching 9/11 unfold helpless in his mother&rsquo;s bed, earning a master&rsquo;s in counseling at 22 with a 4.2 GPA, and coaching a 16-0 national championship football team before getting his real shot in basketball.
Music Credit: Khari Mateen.
What We Discussed:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
0:00 - Introduction
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
2:36 - The Family Height Debate and Genealogy
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
4:19 - Early Athletic Beginnings and Waco Roots
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
5:54 - Growing Up with Two Fathers in a Blue-Collar Home
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
8:01 - The Impact of a Mother&rsquo;s Narrative
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
10:14 - Choosing Johnson and Financial Lessons from Child Support
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
14:55 - Discovering His Stepfather and Generation Photos
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
18:32 - Sharecropper Roots, Height, and Son Isaiah
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
21:44 - Texas Football Culture and Street Games
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
24:10 - Grandfather Shot Shot and Barbecue Business
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
26:42 - Overcoming Playground Rejection and Becoming Multi-Sport
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
31:40 - Instilling Work Ethic and the Ambition at 13
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
34:43 - Preacher Roots, Church Life, and Competitive Instincts
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
39:24 - Mentor Coach Dwayne Silver and the 13-Year-Old Promise
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
44:43 - VHS Highlight Tapes, Zone Defense, and High School Dominance
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
50:54 - The Achilles Injury and Transition to Graduate Assistant
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
52:15 - Loneliness, September 11th, and Critiques of College Systems
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
59:51 - Master&rsquo;s in Counseling and Emotional Intelligence
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
1:02:06 - Coaching High School Football and Basketball in Texas
</li>
</ul>

Passing the Torch: Young NBA Stars Are Taking Over, AAU Hoops, & Why D-Wade Loves Today’s Game

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