Dwyane Wade chose to sign with his hometown Chicago Bulls this summer for reasons that go beyond basketball.

"My purpose for being back in the city is bigger than basketball. Basketball is a big part of it, of course; it's what I do for a living," said Wade. "But I think my purpose at the end of the day hopefully is to come to Chicago and be a part, be a voice that can help bring people together."

The city of Chicago has been deeply impacted by violence this year and his cousin, Nykea Aldridge, was murdered on Aug. 26. Police say Aldridge, who was pushing a baby in a stroller, was not the intended target.

Wade and his mother were part of a series of panel discussions on gun violence hosted a day earlier by The Undefeated on ESPN.

"We're coming off doing the town hall meeting, literally the night before. My mother's on the panel, we're using our voice, using our platform to shed some light on the city of Chicago for others to look in and see how we can all help and all come together, and hours later one of my family members is killed," Wade said. "For me it's tough. I want my family to grieve in private, but my name is attached to it."