Dwyane Wade – The Miami Heat Legend March 22nd, 2014 | by Mrigank Shukla Dwyane Wade – The Miami Heat Legend MIAMI HEAT 0 Dwyane Wade was, is and will always be considered the best Miami Heat player. For those of you who have jumped on to the Heat bandwagon, LeBron might be the King but when it comes to being the best Heat player of all time, he falls short in many aspects. Dwyane Wade getting his first ever title. Dwyane Wade getting his first ever title. Every legend has his story.This Miami legend was brought up under harsh conditions and it is only when we discover someone’s origin we truly realise his struggles and the various hardships he has faced while growing up. The ‘Heat fans’ who haven’t watched Undeniable- The Rise of Dwyane Wade should give it a look, it shows how Miami won its very first chamionship in 2006. All of it started in Illinois, Chicago when a small boy found solace on the basketball court in his backyard, playing with his brothers with no fouls called made him tough. Many of you might not know this but that’s where Wade picked up one of his signature moves ; the Windmill Crossover. The first time Wade did this move on a big level, was in the Olympics in 2004, that’s when he decided to bring this move back in NBA. The first title given to Wade was at the Five Star Basketball Camp, he was called ‘ Mr. Courageous’. College: He played for the Marquette Golden Eagles.The 2003 team, coached by Tom Crean and led on the court by Dwyane Wade, Robert Jackson, Steve Novak, and Travis Diener, upset top-ranked Kentucky to reach the Final Four of the 2003 NCAA Tournament. Wade averaged 19.7 PPG at 49.4% FG% , 3.9 APG, 6.5 RPG, 1.2 BPG and 2.3 SPG with this team. Since his college years (2001-03), Dwyane Wade has shown his well all rounded game, getting it done both on the offensive and defensive end. Dwyane was the 5th pick of the first round (2003) drafted by Miami. He has spent ten years with this team and is running on his 11th. His career averages are – 24.4 PPG, .492% FG%, 6.0 APG, 5.0 RPG, 1.0 BPG and 1.8 SPG. It is of no surprise that Dwyane Wade leads the Miami in many fields like Games payed- 715, Minutes played- 26234, Assists- 4293, Points- 17147, FGM-A 6250-12705, FTM-A 4567-5961, Steals – 1258, he is also the turnover leader for the Hear franchise with 2455 turnovers, this shouldn’t be taken in a negative way as he was the one handling most of the ball movement and trying to make plays happen. Wade is also 2nd in blocks in the Miami Heat franchise with 694 blocks overall ( NBA record for a guard under 6’4) , although he may never cross Alonzo Mourning in this field (1625 blocks), it is still admirable that a 6’4 guard is number two on the shot blocking list. Wade in the 2006 Finals. Wade in the 2006 Finals. Looking at the numbers provided above, it is impossible for LeBron and difficult for a new player to reach the heights Wade has with this team. Dwyane Wade though past his prime has already had an amazing career with the Heat. His finals performance in 2006 is the best playoff finals performance. Wade brought his team from down 0-2 to bring Miami its first very title. He was averaging 34.7 PPG (46.8%- FG%), 7.8 RPG, 3.8 APG with PER of 33.8. Wade initiated the comeback spark by leading the Heat back from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit in Game 3,dominating the 4th quarter by scoring 12 points in the final 6½ minutes to force the game to OT. He also made the most crucial play of the series with his dribble move to the rim at the end of overtime in Game 5 that earned a whistle from referee Bennett Salvatore and a trip to the line for the late game winning free throws. This call made gained some controversy as well, but it was Dwyane Wade who made them and no one can question that. It was during this season with Shaquille O Neal that Wade got his most famous nickname- The Flash. Dwyane Wade ;even though past his prime and is struggling at times because of his knees ,has always been an underdog and one the most underrated players of all time. He can’t surpass Jordan, he doesn’t need to, he’s Dwyane Wade, he’s Flash and he is sppecial in his own way. Many people might consider Kobe to better than Wade, that is their one dimensional view, basketball isn’t just a scoring game and if you look into the stats Wades game is more well rounded than Kobes on any given day. Dwyane Wade is the only SG to average 1 BPG as a career stat. Even though Wade might not be putting up huge numbers he has improved his efficiency and his game has changed for the better. He relies more on his post up game rather than recklessly attacking the rim. In the 2013-14 season he’s averaging 19.3 PPG on .546 FG% , Wade has indeed become more efficient, his performance this post season, still remains of some doubt because of his battered knees. He has been well rested this season and has shown more flashes of himself. If Miami are to win another ring, they definitely need Wade at his best. With all this said and done, it is of no doubt that Dwyane Wade will retire as a Hall of Famer. He has been overlooked for most of his career. Only true Heat fans know his worth. Dwyane Wade was, is and will always be the face of the Miami Heat.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 02:32:22 +0000
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