If you ask anyone who embodied Miami Heat the best, the answer will be Dwyane Wade. His prowess as a shooting guard turned him from a promising rookie to a cult hero. The Heat wouldn?t have earned their first NBA title in 2006. He was overshadowed a little by the likes of ?big brother? Shaquille O?Neal and the ?King? LeBron James but he stood out among the giants to be Miami?s hero and was there, even when the supporting cast was not as good.
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Of course, that does get forgotten by everybody. He was, in fact, asked about this in a recent interview. ?I put my resume out there, and I let my resume speak for itself. I can?t add any more to my basketball resume,? he said, ?I like to look at it like this: when it comes to the greats or the GOAT conversation, our minds are triggered to see just ?one? at these positions. We see one Michael Jordan, and that?s our GOAT because that?s the era we grew up in ? but then you have Kobe Bryant at the same position that could very well be a GOAT in his own right?.
He concluded, ?History speaks for itself. I?m in history. You can?t mention basketball without mentioning me; you can?t talk about being a champion without mentioning me. I did my part and I let my resume speak for itself.?
Dwyane Wade for the Miami Heat
DWade?s greatness as a shooting guard is indeed not as well remembered by the fans, in general. In the 2006 Playoffs and the Finals, it was Wade who took the team to victory. ?Flash? sliced through a mean Detroit Pistons defense to put up 27-6-5. He shot 62 percent from the field and 81 percent from the line in the EC Finals. In the Finals, he put up 35-8-4, three steals, and a block. He had one of the greatest playoff performances ever against the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals.
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He carried a team whose supporting cast was equivalent to roadkill. LeBron came in 2010 and changed the team. Wade became the second fiddle. He posted up more and was able to take more shots in the paint.
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His injuries, though, didn?t let him sustain his career. His lack of a good 3-point shot too limited him, especially against the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. But, nonetheless, he will always be magical for the city of Miami, the Heat, and its fans.