By: DAVID MASELLO
Wine collecting has swept through the NBA like a fast break. Meet three of the most passionate oenophiles to ever grace the court.
There is a somewhat legendary story now of LeBron James (then with the Cleveland Cavaliers) organizing a Napa excursion for a couple of busloads of teammates. Their destination was Mayacamas, a top-tier producer with roots dating back to 1889. During a cellar tour, James’ teammates bombarded the winemakers with question after question. Carissa Mondavi, a winemaker herself and the granddaughter of pioneer Robert Mondavi, was present. “No one asks these questions,” she later remarked to a reporter.
“Game recognizes game,” goes the sports cliche—it’s the mutual admiration in place when two stars face each other. Expertise in one area may foster an appreciation of excellence elsewhere. Certainly, this is demonstrated in the refined wine tastes of NBA stars Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, and Tony Parker. Not only are they world-class professional athletes, collecting at a level befitting their incomes, but they do so with individuality and impressive savoir-faire.
Butler is a prime example: The Miami Heat guard—a six-time All-Star, among many other accolades—recently completed the addition of a cellar to his off-season home outside San Diego. It currently holds a little over 6,000 bottles, with ample room for more. In July, Butler was headed to Burgundy for research and acquisitions. “We’ve been building Jimmy’s collection for over five years now—we started before he purchased the property,” says Christopher Huel, founder of Harper’s Club, a wine advisory catering to the elite tier of collectors. The aesthetic of his home cellar recalls the dark Old World glories they encountered firsthand during a 2018 trip to Bordeaux. “Jimmy is already quite immersed in Super Tuscans—Masseto, Ornellaia, and Tignanello—but Sassicaia is his true passion. The 2010 vintage was what I call his ‘epiphany wine.’”
Wade, Butler’s college (and Bulls and Heat) teammate, spent the majority of his stellar 16-year professional career in Miami. Befitting the warm climate, rumors suggest he caught the wine bug with a taste for Riesling, like fellow NBA star Carmelo Anthony. However, Napa holds his true affection, and he’s already forging a formidable career. His Wade Cellars, launched in partnership with wine veteran Jayson Pahlmeyer, is celebrating its first decade. It achieved early success, earning Wade a spot on the cover of Wine Enthusiast magazine in 2016. The label initially offered a mid-priced California Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, and this year introduced two premium releases, the Maus Vineyard and Lamoreaux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons. The brand hosts “When We Gather” events at restaurants and wine bars nationwide, recently concluding the 2024 season at The Moore in Miami.
In many ways, Wade follows in the footsteps of Tony Parker, the French-American NBA legend considered one of the greatest European players in basketball history. Inspired by Michael Jordan (who, it turns out, prefers tequila), Parker joined the San Antonio Spurs in 2001 and led them to championships in 2003, 2005, and 2007 (earning MVP honors in the latter, the first European to do so). He continued his career’s brilliance, helping secure another championship in 2014 against a formidable Heat team stacked with James and Wade, among others. Parker retired in 2019 after an illustrious career.
Throughout, he quietly nurtured a second passion. At 19, Parker developed an interest in wine after observing his first coach, the legendary Gregg Popovich, engrossed in a wine magazine. During the season, Parker hosted lavish wine dinners at his Texas home and spent summers visiting wineries. Post-retirement, he befriended French entrepreneur Michel Reybier, known for properties like Cos d’Estournel, a renowned Bordeaux second-growth. Together, they partnered on Château La Mascaronne, producing Provençal rosé, and Champagne Jeeper, a high-end but somewhat under-the-radar producer.
“For me, it’s the same formula as basketball,” he told Food & Wine magazine. “It’s about work ethic, discipline, and passion for what you do.”
