Our 2007 Most Caring Athletes
Big Men Big Hearts. In the court of popular opinion, Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash are go-to guards and standout good guys in their communities.

By T.J. Walter and Dennis McCafferty
October 14, 2007

Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash don't need an introduction. They're two of the hottest guards in the NBA and have chased each other up and down the court countless times. So a USA WEEKEND Magazine photo shoot takes on the feel of a friendly reunion as it unfolds in a New York studio. Wade is the first to arrive, in designer jeans, a black T-shirt and shiny Converses. Nash follows on no particular timetable, in an art deco-inspired T-shirt and faded jeans, true to his rep as a free spirit. The two stars greet with smiles, shake hands and hug.

When choosing jewelry for the shoot, Wade coyly says, "I usually only wear one ring on this hand." The comment is met with laughs around the room, including a chuckle from Nash. Wade is referring, of course, to the NBA championship ring he won as a Finals MVP for the Miami Heat in 2006. Nash, who plays for the Phoenix Suns, doesn't have an NBA title, but he could rub it in that the score is Nash-2, Wade-0 when it comes to league MVP awards. Still, he takes the high road. "Been playing much?" he asks Wade, who has had shoulder and knee surgery in the off-season.

"I've been taking it slow," Wade says. "But I'll see you on the court this year."

You can count on that. Just like you can count on these two guys to set high standards off the court. Wade, just 25, firmly committed himself to community service long before he became a professional basketball player. Nash, 33, a native Canadian, oversees a busy non-profit that's addressing needs on a global level. "I never wanted my foundation to only benefit Canadian causes or American causes," Nash says. "It has always been built on the belief that we are all one community. What happens in one part of the world affects all of us."

To find out more about all the remarkable things Nash and Wade are doing, read on:

DWYANE WADE: Youth will be served

Wade has never given in to lowered expectations. In high school, he was recruited by just three colleges and ended up at Marquette, where, in 2003, he led the team to the Final Four for the first time since 1977. Then, when he turned pro, he was overshadowed within a draft class that included Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. Even still, Wade led the Miami Heat to its first NBA championship ever in just his third year, when he won the Finals MVP award. Given his inclination to challenge expectations, it's not surprising that Wade takes the same approach to giving back. Philanthropic-minded athletes typically launch ambitious foundations in the middle or late stages of their careers. But Wade launched his, Wade's World Foundation, in his rookie year. "I just liked the sound of the name," he says, in a playful mood. " 'Wade's World! Wade's World!' Just like the two guys in the movie Wayne's World."

Giving back is something he always has felt destined to do since he was a kid growing up in Robbins, Ill. "When I got Christmas presents, I'd give them away that week," he says. "I'd get a lot of clothing and shoes, and I'd be like, 'I already have lots of clothes and shoes.' So we'd find a shelter and drop them off."

When he got to the pros, he was eager to make an even greater impact. Wade's World hosts an annual, week-long free summer camp for 600 kids in Robbins. It also stages an annual Christmas party for 250 children in South Florida at a local amusement park. And after the Heat won the championship in 2006, Wade chartered two buses from Miami to take 100 local children to Disney World for free. He partnered with Staples on a park improvement program in South Florida. And, this past winter holiday, he donated shoes and clothes to Katrina victims. It doesn't hurt that Wade happens to have played with two Heat stars who also are well-known for their outpouring of community work: Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning. Both are past USA WEEKEND Most Caring Athletes (O'Neal in 2005 and Mourning in 2001), and both of them have offered lots of good advice to their young teammate. The main lesson: Be true to yourself and the foundation will grow.

"I'm so lucky to have them around," Wade says. "They're happy to share what they know with me. They told me, 'Don't do something because you feel obligated. You have to feel it in your heart.' That's really like having a blueprint for my foundation, right there in the locker room."