5 reasons Dwyane Wade is the greatest player in Miami Heat history
By Connor Learn
3. He helped bring talents to South Beach
By the 2008-2009 season, the Heat were rebuilding. Dwyane Wade was forced to carry the load of those squads. He averaged over 30 points per game and led the league in scoring but the Heat couldn’t get past the first round. Few in the NBA knew this at the time, but Dwyane Wade had been discussing teaming up with LeBron James. Both members of the 2003 draft class were free agents, and the idea of teaming up excited them. Though they considered the Chicago Bulls, James, Wade, and Toronto Raptors star Chris Bosh all teamed up in Miami and became their “big three.” Dwyane Wade deserves a lot of credit for this move happening, and this was going to be the biggest risk of his career. Though some questioned how the star power in South Beach would coalesce, expectations for this new super team were sky high.
It would have been easy for Dwyane Wade to not be willing to sacrifice individual accomplishments for the sake of the Miami Heat’s success.But Wade’s scoring and assist numbers went down as LeBron James took over as the Heat’s primary ball handler, which Wade took in stride. Teaming up three All-NBA players had predictable amounts of success for the Heat, though they were upset in the Finals by the Dallas Mavericks. They retooled after that: adding forward Shane Battier, limited Dwyane Wade’s minutes, and became one of the league’s best defensive teams with their aggressive, trapping style. LeBron James brought his play to a new level and became regular season and Finals MVP. The Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 3-1 and won the 2011-2012 NBA championship.
The Heat turn in one of the best seasons ever
The defending champion Heat added Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis before the 2012-2013 regular season and had the finest season in franchise history. Aided by a near NBA record 27 game win streak, the Heat finished 66-16 and Lebron James repeated as league MVP. Dwyane Wade played more efficiently than he ever had before and the Heat were the class of the NBA. They knocked out the Eastern Conference before facing the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. They went to seven with the Spurs before winning an all-time great series.
The Spurs were able to enact revenge over the Heat in the Finals the following season. Dwyane Wade was only able to start 53 games in the regular season and averaged a career low 19 points per game. Injuries took a toll on his game and he didn’t appear to be the same player he once was. Years of giving his all for the Heat had begun to catch up with Wade. LeBron James famously went back home to Cleveland, which ended the best extended stretch of Miami Heat history. Dwyane Wade made the last of his prime years count in a big way and brought Miami to new heights.