Dwyane Wade is a bonafide Hall-of-Famer. The Miami legend built up one of the most impressive careers of all time, leaving an ever-lasting impact on the Heat. While he is most known for his playing days, controversies never seem to go away. His former team finds itself in the crosshairs of Nikola Jokic‘s Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. Or, rather surprisingly,?Aaron Gordon. While the two barely crossed paths as players, a story from an All-Star Weekend has resurfaced.
A lot of fans felt that Aaron Gordon was robbed of the Slam Dunk Trophy in 2016. When he returned to the competition in 2020, it seemed like the stars would finally align for him. But, it wasn’t meant to be. The man in between the trophy and Gordon? Dwyane Wade.
Aaron Gordon’s Revenge Against Dwyane Wade
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As Steph is to the Bay, as Kobe is to LA, it is the same kind of relationship between DWade and Miami. As a result, the legend has shown mighty support to the Heat’s Cinderella run through the playoffs. However, the one bone in between was Wade’s history with Gordon.
During the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest, Wade came in as a judge for the event. After AG and Derrick Jones Jr. made it to the final 2, Jones won the trophy by a 48-47 margin. Twitter, and the NBA fandom, felt slighted. Gordon’s dunk over 7-foot-5 Tacko Fall was considered legendary, and with Wade not giving it the full 10, fans were on him.
While most fans were upset, Gordon himself went a step further. Going so far as to drop a diss track on Dwyane Wade titled “9 out of 10“, the former in-city rival of the Heat was not happy. Furthermore, Gordon also changed his number to 50, as a reminder of the maximum score that eluded him. Now, Gordon is on a mission to send the Heat home and win his first NBA championship.
Fans are all in for Aaron Gordon’s potential revenge on Dwyane Wade.
Destiny has it so that Aaron Gordon has an opportunity for revenge against the 3x NBA champion. After an insane showing in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, fans were quick to point out the history between the two. One fan tweeted, “Aaron Gordon is on fire! Can’t blame him for seeking redemption. Wade better watch out, AG is coming for that revenge!”
https://twitter.com/HFelicitas27440/status/1664458460765777921?s=20
A fan even wondered if Gordon was listening to his own diss track as motivation.
https://twitter.com/beckyailed/status/1664523948367683585?s=20
Fans were quick to shower Gordon with praise too, for showing he is more than just the Slam Dunk contest snub.
Gordon on a mission, showing the world he's still got it after that Dunk Contest snub. Playing with a chip on his shoulder! 💥
— Cora 😈 (@coramayxoxo) June 2, 2023
A fan even pointed out how Gordon’s jersey change was due to the Dunk Contest.
AG literally chose his Nuggets jersey number based on the dunk contest slight. Chip on the ole shoulder pic.twitter.com/FTT1v1SY89
— A Flame in the Void (@aflameinthevoid) June 2, 2023
Another fan straight-up blamed Wade’s Dunk Contest exploits for Gordon’s Game 1 explosion.
I blame Dwayne Wade for how Aaron Gordon is playing, bro waited and is now using his vengeance card on Miami for that score in the Dunk Contest
— NOIRREK (@JussKB5) June 2, 2023
Moreover, another Aaron Gordon rivalry might take center stage in these finals. With the playoffs shifting to the Bubble in 2020, the Orlando Magic were locked in a series against the Toronto Raptors. While a relatively easy victory for Toronto, things got heated between Kyle Lowry and, you guessed it, Aaron Gordon.
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In the playoffs during the bubble, Kyle Lowry and Aaron Gordon were exchanging words👀🗣
Aaron Gordon: “You’re a b*tch!”
Kyle Lowry: “836 is my room number.” pic.twitter.com/YJgdw23jVK
— Backcourt Alerts (@BackcourtAlerts) May 30, 2023
With the two stars exchanging heated words, and Lowry now an integral part of the Miami Heat team, perhaps Gordon’s drive to succeed is more personal.
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As Gordon and the Nuggets move up 1-0, can Dwyane Wade’s Heat find an answer in Game 2? Let us know what you think.
Watch This Story: 19 Years After Smoking LeBron James And Dwyane Wade During A Practice Session, NBA Veteran Goes Candid About The Game.
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