30 players who define each NBA franchise
By Adam McGee
110. . SG. Miami Heat 2003-present. Dwyane Wade. #3. player
Honorable Mentions: Alonzo Mourning, Glen Rice, LeBron James
For a while this summer it felt as if Dwyane Wade could actually end up leaving the Miami Heat, and that idea just didn’t sit right. Wade is the greatest player ever to play for Miami for a number of reasons. Of course, he was there for the franchise’s three titles, but there’s even more to it than that.
What makes Wade so special is the fact that he was also there for the times in between. The Heat have only missed the playoffs twice in Wade’s 12 seasons in the NBA, and even without the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, Miami teams led by the Chicago native have never been easy to beat.
He really knows how to play the game and he’s going to give you everything that he has. He’s the kind of guy that anybody would love to have on their basketball team. – Gregg Popovich
Wade has been a dynamic presence throughout that time too, earning himself a credible argument to be included in the company of the greatest shooting guards ever to play the game. Wade has done it all; from being a scoring champion in 2009, to being selected to All-Defensive teams on three separate occasions.
Although injuries are now starting to take their toll on him, a healthy Dwyane Wade remains eerily consistent and still one of the toughest players to stop in the entire association. The question left for Heat fans now just has to be how many flashes of brilliance has he left in the tank.
Next: Milwaukee Bucks