Dwyane Wade: An Underappreciated Legend

Despite 3 rings, a Finals MVP, Scoring Title, and 13 All-Star appearances (1 All-Star MVP), many people try to quickly diminish the success of the flash.

After being drafted in 2003, Wade lead the team to a 42-40 record compared to just 25 wins the season prior. The 4th seed Miami Heat would go on to lose to the Indiana Pacers in the 2nd round.

On July 14, 2004, the Heat sent Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, and a future first round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for 32 year old Shaquille O’Neal. Wade was now given a mentor and a championship winning teammate.

After falling 0-2 to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 Finals it seemed as if the series was lost. Wade went on to average 39 points in the next 4 games to close the series in 6 games. Wade had one his first NBA Championship accompanied by the Finals MVP.

Despite his historic performance, Wade still was deprived of his much deserved appreciation due to speculation on the legitimacy of the officiating. The conspiracy went so deep that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban hires a former FBI agent do investigate the officiating of the series.

Wade averaged 16.2 FTA in the Finals compared to his 10.7 in the regular season. In the series, Wade averaged 23.2 FGA 18.8 in the regular season. In addition Wade’s aggressive play style attacking the rim results in much more contact, and potential fouls.

After struggling with injury after injury, Wade player just 51 games in the following two seasons. Injuries plagued Wade throughout his career, and we can only dream of how good Wade would be if he was able to stay healthy.

Despite his injury struggles, the 2008-2009 season was Wade’s best yet. Wade won the scoring title and finished 3rd in MVP voting behind Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

- 30.2 PPG
- 5.0 RPG
- 7.5 APG
- 2.2 SPG
- 1.3 BPG
- .491 FG%

In the summer of 2010, the Miami Heat shocked the world surrounding Dwyane Wade with LeBron James and Chris Bosh to form the Big Three. The Miami Heat were clear title favorites.

The Miami Heat finished the 2010-2011 season 58-24 as the 2nd seed in the East. The Miami Heat would face the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 Finals and were favorites to win the series. The 2011 are remembered for the poor performance of LeBron James.

James was the 3rd best scorer on the team despite averaging the most minutes and leading the team in the regular season. LeBron experienced 4th quarter struggles, an 8 point Game 4, and a +/- of -24 in the series-clinching game 6. Below is a statement from a 2011 Heat player.

In 2012, the Big Three woj their first championship together beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games.

In 2013, the Miami Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs in 7 games. The series was highlighted by the heroic shot by Ray Allen. Despite a decrease in numbers, Wade was far from “carried” and posted solid numbers on efficient scoring.

In the 2014 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Wade has an admiringly sub par performance at 32 years old.

LeBron James would return to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2014. Chris Bosh would be diagnosed with blood clots that caused his career to end prematurely. Wade went on to make playoff appearances in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Many try to diminish Wade’s success claiming the 2006 finals were rigged and he was carried by LeBron for 2 rings. However Wade had an MVP caliber season in 2008-2009, and could have won another Finals MVP if it were not for the lackluster performance of LeBron James.

Hopefully this thread has debunked many of the narratives surrounding Wade and highlighted his greatness. Drop your thoughts down below as this thread and edit took hours to put together.