NBA players have always been known for their love for wine. From NBA icon LeBron James to Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum, players have promoted wine, with some even investing in the wine business. However, Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade and New Orleans Pelicans star Josh Hart are currently taking it to the next level, hoping to make wine inclusive in the American culture.
Josh Hart, Dwyane Wade wine initiative: NBA icons work on making wine inclusive
Josh Hart has started a Diversity In Wine Scholarship Program, allowing people to prepare for the WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust). People from all kinds of backgrounds have joined this program, hoping to switch their careers. The Pelicans guard began this scholarship with Wine Access for everyone else, hoping it would make the industry more inclusive and approachable.
“I love wine now, but if I hadn’t been a Laker, my being in the wine world probably wouldn’t have happened,” Hart said, adding that being an NBA player allows him to help minorities who do not have the same resources. Additionally, he can also help everyone who is nervous to enter the wine space.
He will award the WSET Level 1 course to 100 people, while also sponsoring five Level 2 students, and three Level 3 students. The top three people will travel to Napa with Hart for a weekend. “My dream is for people in the program to further their pursuit of a career in wine,” Hart said. “Hopefully we keep this program going, and in 10, 15, 20 years, there will be a winemaker in Napa who first started with the WSET from this partnership”.
The Dwyane Wade love for wine is well known and the star himself supports and shares Hart’s aim. “One of the reasons I got into the wine industry was to change the common misconception of wine as pretentious,” Wade said. He explained that he did not grow up knowing what wine is, and wants to be a part of showing everyone what goes into making one bottle.
Wade Cellars, his own brand, was started in 2014. “Just start buying wine,” Wade advises, urging people to ask questions and research, saying that he is not much different from anyone else.
Dwyane Wade net worth
Though unverified, the Dwyane Wade net worth figure is believed to be around $170 million according to Celebrity Net Worth. He earned $198 million from his NBA salary, and more through endorsements and deals, especially shoe contracts. Last February, Wade his wife Gabrielle Union paid $20 million for a massive mansion in Hidden Hills, California. Their home has three floors and boasts various amenities like a theatre, poolside cabana, infinity pool and more. The Dwyane Wade wine move could well increase his net worth in the long-term.
Their previous house was a mansion in Sherman Oaks worth $6 million. They still have a Miami mansion, which Wade bought while with the Heat in 2010 for $10.7 million. Per reports, the house is on sale for $29 million, but does not have any takers.
Josh Hart salary and net worth
According to some unverified sources, the Josh Hart net worth lies between $1 million to $5 million. He signed a signed four-year, $8,474,999 deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, which has $8,474,999 guaranteed. The average Josh Hart salary stands at $2,118,750. By 2022, the Pelicans star will have earned $13,590,852 during his NBA career (via Spotrac).