Miami Heat: Compiling an all-time starting 5

Point guard: Dwyane Wade

The point guard is often considered the leader of the team and this was especially true when positions used to matter more. Who better to lead the team than the man who had the biggest hand on the court in building the Miami Heat into a legendary franchise, Dwyane Wade. Wade is to the Miami Heat what Michael Jordan is to the Bulls, Tim Duncan is to the Spurs, Kobe Bryant is to the Lakers and Dirk Nowitzki is to the Mavericks; the superstar you think of when you think of this franchise.

Wade would slash to the rim, throw down vicious dunks making mincemeat of defenders in his way, block shots like he was 7-feet tall, cross people up like his hero (and a primary reason he wears number 3) Allen Iverson and drain game-winning shots like they were nothing. Wade was a floor commander also able to dish flashy passes and iconic lobs to LeBron, but his most important skill was statistically unmeasurable.

Wade’s leadership, poise under pressure and the sacrifices he was willing to make whether financially to sign great players or in terms of touching the ball on the court proved that if you were on his team he was sacrificing for the greater good and you’d better be ready to as well.

Wade had a county named after him in Miami, a day named after him by the mayor, was given the key to the city and arguably surpassed Dan Marino as the most important athlete in South Florida history.

Wade put his team on his back in the 2006 NBA Finals, leading a double-digit comeback in Game 3 of the fourth quarter, already down 2-0 in the series, which sparked the team to win four-straight games en route to the franchise’s first championship.

In his virtuoso double-overtime, 48-point performance against his hometown Chicago Bulls, Wade stole the ball and hit a running three-pointer at the buzzer for his most iconic celebration jumping on the scorer’s table proclaiming, “This is my house!”