How to Throw a Dwyane Wade-Level Birthday Party, in Five Easy Steps

You'll need a $230,000 car, hip-hop-star friends and vintage champagne. So "easy" might not be the right word.

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Frank Polich / Reuters

As if we’d expect anything less, Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade celebrated his 30th birthday in an over-the-top, grandiose, standard-setting party thrown by his girlfriend, actress Gabrielle Union. The highlight of the night included Wade’s gifted 2012 McLaren MP4-12C being airlifted into the hotel by a crane. $230,000. No big deal.

If there’s a special NBA basketball star in your life for whom you’d like to throw a party, we thought we’d make things easy for you using NewsFeed’s own “Dwyane Wade Checklist for an Awesome Birthday Bash.”

1. Hold your party at a hotel dripping in luxury. The website should be oozing decadence and diamonds right out of the screen and onto your keyboard. Union decided to throw Wade’s party at the ultra-luxe Setai Hotel in South Beach last Sunday.

2. Ensure a VIP guest list. Your guests should be coming from various disciplines and fields—music, acting, producing, sports. Wade’s party was littered with celebrities—we’re talking Usher, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Fat Joe, Alonzo Mourning, Rick Ross, T.I., and more.

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3. Get someone to sing a sexy rendition of “Happy Birthday.” Marilyn Monroe serenaded JFK in 1962, and Kelly Rowland had that honor on Sunday.

4. An all-star lineup of performances is a must, and one hit rapper is never enough. Thanks to Wade’s family’s planning, guests at his bash enjoyed surprise performances from Common, T.I., and Rick Ross (obviously).

5. Gifts. Lots of them. No way to show your basketball star he’s appreciated than by throwing thousands of dollars in his direction. In addition to a vintage 1982 bottle of Dom Perignon and a diamond encrusted Hublot 3000 watch, Wade received a massive gift from his local McLaren dealership. A McLaren MP4-12C, valued at $230,000, was hoisted up by a crane and carefully set down onto a platform in the hotel pool for a grand display and presentation to Wade, who serves as a brand ambassador for the dealership.

Now, this is just the Dwyane Wade standard, so if you’re looking to top this, you’d be wise to start pestering Kanye West and Jay-Z now (maybe Blue Ivy will be ready to perform by the time she’s 2?), and start saving up for a private jet to gift your NBA buddy.

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