D-Wade offers to pay fine for WNBA player who wore his shoes
Dwyane Wade was excited to see the Las Vegas Aces' Tamera Young rocking his Way of Wade signature shoes that are made with Li-Ning during a game last week. The three-time NBA champ thanked her for showing love and wrote, "It's okay to be the first," on his Instagram.
In a fantastic feature story by The Undefeated's Aaron Dodson about Young's love of sneakers, she revealed that after wearing Wade's shoes, she got a warning from the WNBA saying she'll have to pay a $500 fine if she wears them again. Young is only supposed to wear Nikes or Jordans since those companies sponsor the league, and she doesn't have a shoe deal (yet).
Wade noticed the fine warning, and he sent her a tweet: "Send that fine my way." Young retweeted the message.
Dodson also reported that Wade sent her those shoes last fall and that only 500 pairs of that edition were made.
If you're wondering why a huge sneakerhead like Young doesn't have a shoe deal, she got into that with The Undefeated too.
In conversations with companies, she's heard that her points per game average is too low, and about specific requirements for WNBA players to be signed to certain brands - making the All-Star team, competing with USA Basketball or ranking in the top 10 in particular statistical categories. "I know players right now with shoe deals," she says, "that aren't in any of those categories." She says she wouldn't mind being with just one brand. "But - no one's given me the opportunity, so I'm here wearing whatever sneaker I wanna wear."
Young is averaging 10 points and 5.2 rebounds per game so far this season.
You can read the full feature on Young here.
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