Heat guard Dwyane Wade takes stand for 1st time in $25M restaurant trial

Heat guard Wade takes stand in restaurant trial

MIAMI — Dwyane Wade has finally taken the stand at the trial where two ex-partners are suing him for $25 million in a failed restaurant deal.

The star Miami Heat guard was called as the case’s third witness around 4:15 p.m. He’s expected to testify for about an hour before court breaks for the weekend.

The lawsuit involves the defunct deal over what was to be a chain of D. Wade’s Place sports-themed restaurants. Plaintiffs Mark Rodberg and Lauren Hollander claim Wade breached a contract by demanding higher compensation than first agreed to, then abandoning the deal in 2008.

Wade says he’s entitled to damages because Rodberg and Hollander used his likeness in ways he did not approve.