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via Getty

via Getty

The Miami Heat is famous for housing some of the league’s greatest players. NBA legends like Shaquille O’Neal and Gary Payton have had their stint in Miami and were crucial in the franchise’s first ever championship triumph. Moreover, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James had spent four seasons with the Heat, during which he won two back-to-back NBA titles. Apart from these legends, there is another superstar who was with the side through thick and thin.

Now, a former Heat coach has revealed how a key move had surprised everyone at the Miami side, including their all-time hero. The Chicago Bulls had Michael Jordan and the Lakers had Kobe Bryant, but for the Miami Heat it was Dwyane Wade. Wade spent sixteen seasons with the franchise and earned himself and Miami three NBA rings with his vital contributions. However, a key move from then Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy was very crucial for D Wade’s breakthrough.

A surprise move that saw a different Dwyane Wade

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Both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were rookies in the 2003 season. King James was selected as the Rookie of the Year and he went on to achieve superstardom in the next few years. Wade, on the other hand, was breaking through slowly – but steadily. Once when LeBron’s Cleveland Cavaliers and Wade’s Miami Heat locked horns, the Heat had the last laugh on the back of Wade’s stellar display.

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Alluding to that game, former heat coach Stan Van Gundy said in a recent interview, “We are going down last possession and we give the ball to D Wade. He runs the clock down all the way and he hits the game-winner against that.” This iconic D Wade display against the mighty LeBron and Co was a moment of epiphany for Van Gundy. He would soon implement a change that would revolutionize Dwyane Wade’s career.

As a coach, Van Gundy always made sure to bring his best players out on the floor. Once, he reached a situation where he felt should put one of his players from the bench in for D Wade. However, the coach did something else.

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“No. Fu** it we are gonna play Dwyane as our point guard. So, we went into summer league and we played him totally as point guard. He wasn’t a point guard in high school. He wasn’t a point guard at Marquette. We are playing him at the point. I am like this…this was a different dude,”?Van Gundy said.

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As a point guard, D Wade averaged 13.4 points, six rebounds, 4.6 assists and two steals playing in the Pepsi Pro Summer League. With that performance, and with the backing of his coach, Wade showed the world what he is capable of.