Dwyane Wade Comments on Decision to Play for Chicago Bulls, Cousin's Death

Dwyane Wade returned to his hometown of Chicago this offseason when he signed with the Bulls, and he revealed Friday his motivation for doing so stretched far beyond basketball. 

In an interview with ABC's Good Morning America (h/t ESPN.com), D-Wade discussed his decision to join the Bulls after 13 Hall of Fame-caliber years with the Miami Heat: "My purpose for being back in the city is bigger than basketball. Basketball is a big part of it, of course; it's what I do for a living. But I think my purpose at the end of the day hopefully is to come to Chicago and be a part, be a voice that can help bring people together."

Gun violence has plagued the Windy City in recent years, and Wade was recently impacted by it, as his cousin, Nykea Aldridge, was shot and killed on the South Side of Chicago on Aug. 26. According to CNN.com's Ralph Ellis and Vivian Kuo, police said Aldridge was not the intended target of the shooting.

As pointed out by Wade, the shooting occurred just one day after he took part in a town hall meeting on the subject of gun violence:

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We're coming off doing the town hall meeting, literally the night before, my mother's on the panel, we're using our voice, using our platform to shed some light on the city of Chicago for others to look in and see how we can all help and all come together, and hours later one of my family members is killed. For me it's tough. I want my family to grieve in private, but my name is attached to it.

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Wade is among the most popular, successful and influential players in the NBA as a 12-time All-Star and three-time champion, and he hopes to use that to facilitate positive change in Chicago: "Now I'm back in the city of Chicago—I'm back for a reason. I played 13 years in Miami. Now I'm back in the city, let me see what I can do as one person to help lend my voice and help shed light on the tragedy that's going on and find a solution to start the process of making change."

There is little doubt the 34-year-old veteran will help the Bulls on the court as they look to return to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference this season.

It long seemed as though Wade was a virtual lock to spend his entire career with the Heat, but a greater calling drew him back home, and it is clear that joining the Bulls was about far more than winning games.

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