Dwyane Wade (Photo : Getty Images/Vaughn Ridley)
Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat has been asked to appear in ESPN Magazine's The Body Issue since it debuted on October 9, 2009. Wade finally agreed to pose naked in this year's issue but he admitted that it was not easy and he had to work really hard on his body.
The three-time NBA champion is one of the fearless players in basketball but he told Morty Ain in an interview with ESPN that he was never comfortable about his body. He mentioned that he never took off his shirt in public when he was a kid due to having an outie belly button.
Wade only started feeling confident about his body four years ago when he changed his mind set. He called part of life wherein you feel more comfortable about yourself. Nonetheless, he started working out better as he got older and the results are great.
"I work hard on my body, man. I'm 34 now. It doesn't come as easy as it did when I was 21, 22. I have to work at it now, where it used to be something that just came natural," Wade said.
The 34-year-old added that he felt he was 28 this season as the Heat made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Fans will be happy to know that he is not thinking of retiring anytime soon as he has some good years left.
On the other hand, Wade will become the seventh NBA player to appear in The Body Issue. Other NBA stars that have posed naked for the magazine over the years are Dwight Howard, Amar'e Stoudemire, Blake Griffin, Tyson Chandler, John Wall, Kenneth Faried and Serge Ibaka.
The Heat superstar will be joined by 18 other athletes from different sports. Elena Delle Donne will represent the WNBA while 2015 NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta is the sole MLB player this year.
Other athletes on the 2016 The Body Issue are reigning Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, four-time Pro-Bowler Antonio Brown, UFC Featherweight champion Conor McGregor, USWNT forward Christen Press and 56-year-old Olympian Greg Louganis.
The complete list of athletes appearing on this year's edition can be found on the ESPN Media Zone. The Body Issue will be available on Wednesday, July 6.
Check out the video below for to see Wade's cover of the 2016 ESPN Magazine The Body Issue.
