The story of Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade and his rise to the NBA, becoming one of the best defensive players in the league, where he’s been tasked to guard the likes of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker after growing up in the middle of Kansas in small-town St. John, is one that deserves a Hollywood movie script.
Maybe it’s not Hoosiers, the 1986 classic movie about small-town Hickory, Indiana and coach Norman Dale, taking his tough-natured team to the high school championship game in 1950’s Indiana. However, it certainly deserves some more attention because it’s a genuinely good story where hard work, persistence and a gift for the game are acknowledged at the highest level.
An interview with the parents and former coach of the Cavs’ Dean Wade illustrates how hard work and a love of basketball can pave the way to the NBA.
I had the opportunity recently to catch up with Wade’s parents and one of his coaches from his junior high and high school days. I lived out in Kansas myself for over 25 years and had the chance to follow Wade’s career through high school and then when he attended Kansas State. The former Mr. Kansas basketball player had a brilliant career growing up but, you might never know that from the quiet and reserved demeanor he has exhibited since he was in grade school.
Now as a member of the Cavs he has brought that same level of excellence to a team that is also on the rise. Wade hasn’t ever knocked your socks off when it comes to scoring bunches of points in the box score, but like I’ve shared before, Wade excels at doing all the little things, from the rebounds to the hustle plays and the 50/50 balls, to tracking opponents down in transition, and by playing outstanding defense. He simply makes the team better when he’s out on the court.
Here are my interviews with both Wade’s parents, Jay and Trish Wade, and then his junior high and assistant high school basketball coach Kurt Fairchild. You’ll learn about Wade’s appreciation for the game by studying former NBA greats such as Dirk Nowitzki. You’ll also surprisingly learn how Wade is not only an excellent fisherman but also an expert in catching wild bobcats in the fields of Kansas. Yes, a bobcat!
And you’ll find out that the Cavaliers certainly have a player that is all about the team and winning. That type of attitude is certainly contagious, and this Cavalier team has benefited from a player of Wade’s demeanor and talents.
Also, it’s great that the Cavs will seemingly get Wade back soon from a calf injury, and it seems they will, as he was upgraded to questionable Wednesday, and it appears could play versus the Chicago Bulls. Wade’s former coach stated that it’s not serious, and the team has been very cautious with him, and it seems he should be back pretty soon; his parents echoed that too.
My interview with Dean Wade’s parents, Jay and Trish Wade
Question: Tell us about St. John and where Dean grew up?
"“St John is a town of about 1200 people located in about the middle of the Kansas. We don’t have any stoplights or fast-food chains (contrary to what some sports announcers have said). It’s an agricultural community with decent, hardworking people.”"
Question: Has Dean sought the spotlight or is he comfortable in a supporting role? He seems to be thriving as the latter right now.
"“I don’t think he’s ever sought the spotlight. Winning games and team-first have always been the most important. I was kind of hammering him after one of his college games, why he wasn’t doing this or that, and his response was “we won.”’"
Question: When did you first think Dean could really be a professional basketball player?
"“I thought he may have a chance to play professionally after he got to college. Wasn’t sure if it was going to be in the NBA, but somewhere. We saw other players that he competed against and with, that were playing professionally, whether it was the NBA or overseas. I thought if he continued to get stronger and develop that he’d have a chance.”"
Question: What’s it like having your son play in the NBA?
"“It’s pretty surreal that he’s in the NBA. Being in a very exclusive club of 450-510 people is a great honor.”"
Question: Could you ever have imagined Dean playing in the NBA when he was a youngster?
"“Dean told me (Trish) when he was 8 years old that he was going to be a professional basketball player when he grew up and I said (as every Mom would say), “I know you will bud, just keep working hard and you can do anything you set your mind to!”‘"
Question: Any stories of Dean as a kid when he started playing hoops that you knew he was going to be a special player?
"“We moved to St. John when Dean was in the second grade, and I (Trish) signed him up to do basketball camp (HE DID NOT WANT TO GO!). I always wanted the kids to try things before they decided whether they liked them or not! I had to pull him out of the car kicking and screaming, gave him a little swat and walked him into the gym to MAKE HIM participate in camp! Also, he enjoyed camp! When he was in fifth grade, he was the manager for his junior high team – the coach would put Dean in to play against the JH boys and surprisingly he held his own, really enjoyed playing and improved over the years. I thought he had all the qualities of being a solid basketball player!”"
Question: What has been Dean’s key to his success in his career?
"“I think his success has come from a good work ethic and overcoming adversity. He works hard and has had to deal with injuries in college, that made him realize that you play hard at all times. He’s also benefited from good coaching at all levels.”"
Question: Who does Dean look up to as a role model in basketball?
"“He’s always liked Dirk Nowitzki. I think he’s a better defender than Dirk was, but he’s a true stretch big guy. I think he appreciates Kevin Love’s game/career too.”"
Question: How did Dean get his start with the Cavs?
"“So, he worked out for the Cavs, along with 10 or so other teams, before the draft. He didn’t get drafted, but Cleveland was on the phone with his people, and they offered him a 2-way contract immediately after the draft. There were other teams interested too, but we thought Cleveland would be a good fit. They were going through a rebuild and he thought that was something he wanted to be involved with.”"
Question: Have you been to Cleveland to see Dean play?
"“We’ve been to a few games in Cleveland. Would like to go to more, but COVID limited the amount we could go to last year. I like Cleveland. There seems to be a lot to do and see. But I’ve only been there in the winter months, so looking forward to getting there when it’s a little warmer when you could enjoy the lake and outside.”"
Question: Does Dean visit Kansas and St. John?
"“He comes back during the offseason, not nearly as often as we’d like, but he gets back for a while. He likes to fish and hunt, so when he does come back those are the things he does.”"
Question: Do the Cavs have a chance at the playoffs this year?
"“I think they have a good chance to make the playoffs. They have had the hardest schedule in the league up to this point, and have done pretty well. I think if they keep playing with the team-first attitude and avoid any more injuries, they have a good shot.”"
Question: How do you watch the games from Kansas?
"“We watch most of the games on NBA League Pass. We get blacked out when they play the Timberwolves, Thunder, and Nuggets. Not sure why they do that with the Timberwolves, but I guess they figure those are the closest to here. (713 miles)”"
After interviewing Wade’s parents and getting their feedback on their talented youngster that they helped guide, I couldn’t help but think of all the countless families and parents that have pushed their kids toward reaching a lofty goal like the NBA only to fail in the end.
I’ve had the chance to coach countless kids too in the junior and senior high levels of basketball and that realization that they aren’t going to play past high school for most can be hard for the kids to accept as they get older but even more so for the parents. I applaud all the players and their families that have made it to the highest levels of play. It is a grueling endeavor but very rewarding in the end.
My interview with Kurt Fairchild, Dean’s junior high and high school coach
Question: Has Dean sought the spotlight or is he comfortable in a supporting role? He seems to be thriving as the latter right now.
"“No, he is not a spotlight seeker. He plays to make the team better. And he expects that of his teammates. And he loves to win.”"
Question: When did you first think Dean could really be a professional basketball player?
"“Actually, Coach Weber at K-State thought that Dean might be a one-and-done guy. In high school I thought he was a D1 player but when Weber said that I thought yeah, he’s probably right.”"
Question: What’s it like having a former player play in the NBA?
"“Here’s what I tell people about that: He’s more than a once in a lifetime player to get the opportunity to coach. Many, very good coaches, have coached their lifetime and hardly any of them have had the opportunity to coach anyone close to Dean off and on the court.”"
Question: When you coached Dean, did you imagine him playing in the NBA someday?
"“Dean was the best teammate imaginable. I remember during timeouts he would suggest plays or sets to run that would get a teammate an easy shot and score. It was uncanny how he understood the game.”"
Question: What has been Dean’s key to his success in his career?
"“It’s about hard work. He expects perfection of himself which made him pretty tough on himself. And great genes! His mother was a very successful college volleyball player (and had her number retired) and his dad played football on scholarship at K-State and Western Illinois. And his sister was a junior college All-American in volleyball!”"
Question: Could you ever have imagined Dean playing in the NBA when he was a youngster?
"“After Dean’s seventh grade year, I told my assistant coach I was seriously considering retiring. He said, “You can’t do that.” I said why not? He said, “Don’t you know that someday you’ll have the opportunity to tell everybody that you got to coach a D-I basketball player?” Little did he know that I’ve had the opportunity to tell my grandkids that “that guy playing in the NBA was on Papa’s basketball team for four years and football team for three years.”‘"
Question: Are there any stories of Dean as a kid, when he started playing hoops, that you knew he was going to be a special player?
"“I was at a K-State practice when Dean was a freshman and a scout for the Atlanta Hawks was watching practice. He was sitting by me, and I asked him if he was looking at Wes Iwundu? He said no, he was watching Dean Wade. He then asked me who I was watching. I said Dean Wade, because I coached him in junior high and was his assistant coach in high school! He right away said, “Did you teach him how to shoot?” I said no, his parents did and I didn’t ever want to mess with his shot. He said, ” That’s the wrong answer! You should take credit for a shooting motion like Dean has!!” LOL I always said I wanted to take a video of Dean’s shot and show it to every kid learning how to shoot a basketball!”"
Question: Are there any funny basketball-related stories that come to mind when Dean was a kid?
"“When Dean was a sixth grader, I made him our manager so that he could practice every day, but he wasn’t eligible to play until his seventh grade year. My point guard (who ended up playing at K-State also) came up to me after practice the first week and told me that he didn’t think I should allow Dean to practice against his team. I said, “Why not?” and he said, “because we can’t stop him!!” LOL and he was laughing too. He then said, “Seriously Coach we don’t have anybody to stop him!” And the two grades right ahead of Dean had two players that played college basketball.”"
Question: Tell us about St. John and Dean’s time there?
"“St. John is a very rural community that has always loved its basketball and has great tradition. I’m sure that influenced Dean. We start kids out early playing basketball and encouraging them. Dean’s favorite thing is fishing and hunting. He’s the best hand fisherman for catfish I’ve ever witnessed, and he trapped one of the largest bobcats ever caught in a pasture I own. He called me about 6 o’clock in the morning totally pumped about catching the huge bobcat!! Scared me to death when I saw Dean was calling that early in the morning!”"
Question: Does Dean visit Kansas and St. John?
"“Dean visits every opportunity he gets, and the kids (and even the adults) love it!”"
Question: Do the Cavs have a chance at the playoffs this year?
"“Yes! I think if they get the bigs healthy and use a smart rotation of all five bigs they’ll do it!”"
Question: How do you watch the games?
"“I paid for NBA league pass on Direct TV! Worth every penny!”"
A little extra note on Dean Wade’s success story from Coach Fairchild
"“Dean grew to be 6’0 in the eighth grade. I had a couple players taller than he was. I remember measuring him during the season. He was so excited that he got to 6 feet! And then as a freshman he came in at 6’7″!! I made him the point guard on the practice squad his sixth grade year and made him my point guard on dribble-drive motion offense. (Remember the story about the eighth graders who couldn’t slow him down!) I think that was a real benefit to his career to be such a good ball handler at an early age. And he was always a fantastic shooter. And he did exactly what you taught him and never had to tell him twice. He’s just so fundamentally sound and never out of position defensively.”"
The interview with Coach Fairchild was so fun because he and I have been junior high coaches and so much happens for kids in that age group. Kids like Wade grow over the summers in height: some kids that were the center and post player on their teams in sixth or seventh grade end up being a guard in high school. Talent is hard to spot completely at that age, but you can find a few players.
Wade’s demeanor and the way he plays the game has always reminded me of my own daughter who played basketball and reached the college level, so that’s why I cheer for him. Wade’s cerebral way of playing the game and his ability to do all the little things on the court are what make a player like Wade even more valuable to the team.
Enjoy watching Wade play for the Cavaliers the rest of the season. He certainly has earned his way to the top of the mountain and having the challenge of facing a player like Kevin Durant or James Harden on a nightly basis for a job isn’t too bad of a living. Wade might not be catching a bobcat in the open fields of Kansas, but he’s catching the attention of the NBA.