Budweiser Surprised Dwyane Wade With 5 Visitors Whose Lives He Changed for the Better

Dwyane Wade has spent much of this NBA season, his last in the league, exchanging jerseys with today's top players. It's created some touching moments with Wade's longtime friends and rivals, and now Budweiser is putting an even more emotional spin on Wade's gesture of respect and appreciation. In a tear-jerking, 4-minute spot from agency VaynerMedia, Wade is visited by five people—some he knows well, several he doesn't. Most don't have jerseys to trade, but they do bring Wade garments with intense emotional significance. Before we give any more away, you should watch the spot in its entirety: [kickout id="1"] “We’re honored to raise a Bud to Dwyane Wade to celebrate his legendary NBA career," says Monica Rustgi, Budweiser marketing vp, in a statement about the new spot. “We take pride in telling the stories that connect sports legends to their fans. While Dwyane Wade is one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball, we wanted to showcase his even-greater impact and legacy off the court.” The video will be shown in its entirety today at American Airlines Arena before the tipoff of Wade's last home game in Miami. A 90-second version will air on regional network Fox Sports Sun this week. Budweiser is no stranger to emotional sendoffs to sports stars, and this one—called "This Bud's for 3" in reference to Wade's jersey number—serves as a spiritual successor of sorts to 2017's "This Bud's for 2" honoring the Yankees' retirement of Derek Jeter's jersey number. But this spot, featuring Wade's mother and others he's inspired and supported through extreme hardship, is obviously even more emotional than the usual parting salutes. “Throughout the year, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on my basketball career and thank so many teammates, coaches and mentors who have impacted me on the court," Wade says in a statement. "Thanks to Budweiser for reminding me that my connection to people is bigger than basketball. While my basketball career is coming to a close in the coming days, my relationship with my fans will only continue to grow." CREDITS: Client: Budweiser Group Vice President, Core & Value: Ricardo Marques Vice President, Marketing: Monica Rustgi Senior Brand Director: Madison Pietrowski Director, Budweiser Sports: Matt Davis Director, Marketing Communications: Jenna Knoll Brand Manager: Hayley Kahn Agency: VaynerMedia, New York Chief Creative Officer: Steve Babcock Group Creative Director: Adam Lock Creative Director: Todd Bradley Associate Creative Director: Harrison Barron Art Director: Rafael Sosa EVP: Nick Miaritis VP, Group Account Director: Joe Leotta Account Director: Alex Slavin Account Executive: Donald Spampinato Project Manager: Katherine Penland Agency Executive Producer: Cassandra Reuter Agency Producer: Chloe Heller Production: VaynerProducitons Chief Production Officer: Aaron Kovan Director: Ritesh Gupta Director of Photography: Jeff Kim Executive Producer: Matt Hollis Editorial: Cutters Studios, New York Editor: Steve Bell Assistant Editor: Austin Rauterkus Executive Producer: Elizabeth Krajewski Senior Producer: Stephanie Rose Audio: Cutters Studios, New York Hunter Berk Color: The Mill Colorist: Fergus MCcall Music: JSM Music

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Budweiser Surprised Dwyane Wade With 5 Visitors Whose Lives He Changed for the Better

Fair warning: You'll want to grab a tissue

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