Dwayne Wade is arguably one of the five greatest shooting guards of all time. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Jerry West, Dwayne Wade and Allen Iverson, in that order, constitute this writer’s list. Greatness is primarily measured by longevity, statistics and championships. Wade has exceeded the criteria in all three categories, including three NBA titles.
Now in his 13th season, all with the Miami Heat, the 34-year-old native of Chicago remains an impactful force. Age and injuries have sapped much of Wade’s athleticism, which he had in abundance in his 20s. In fact, Wade has battled injuries almost his entire career, never playing a full 82-game regular season schedule. (Note that the 2011-12 season was a lockout season.) But in most years, he was still dominant. The 6-foot-4 former Marquette University star was nearly impossible to guard one-on-one when in top form, and he utilized his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame to lock down opposing guards on the defensive end.
He has shown glimpses of his old self this postseason, willing the Heat into the second round of the playoffs after a memorable Game 6 performance versus the Charlotte Hornets. With the Heat down three games to two and facing elimination on the road, Wade produced team highs of 23 points and six assists, and added six rebounds in a 97-90 win to pull the No. 3 seeded Heat to Game 7 in Miami, where they crushed the Hornets by 106-73.
In their opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals Tuesday night versus the No. 2 seeded Toronto Raptors in Canada, Wade’s strip of the Raptors’ DeMar DeRozan, followed by his three-point play with the Heat up 99-96 with a little over 10 seconds remaining in overtime, sealed the 102-96 Game 1 victory.
Wade’s 24 points elevated him into 16th place on the NBA’s playoff scoring list (3,638 points), passing Elgin Baylor (3,623 points). He’s almost certain to step over Scottie Pippen (3,642 points) in Game 2 in Toronto tonight (Thursday).
Greatness defined!
