Dwyane Wade is the epitome of a Hall of Fame NBA Player

Dwayne Wade will be inducted into the Hall of Fame after a great career where he won three titles and became an iconic figure in Miami.

My fondest memory of Dwyane Wade was in the 2006 NBA Finals when he literally put the Miami Heat on his back. Down 2-0 to Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, in a series where they were not expected to win, Wade put on a performance for the ages.

In Game 3 of that series, Wade scored 42 points as the Heat were able to avoid going down 3-0. In Game 4, Wade exploded once again as he scored 36 points evening up the series at two games apiece. In a pivotal Game 5, Wade scored 43 points in an overtime thriller where he made two clutch free throws to give the Heat a one-point advantage as they went on to win giving them a 3-2 lead in the series.

Wade would make sure that the Mavericks would not have an opportunity to get back in the series as he capped off one of the greatest all-time Finals performances as he led the Heat to their first championship in franchise history.

Wade was literally unstoppable and there was absolutely nothing the Mavericks could do to slow him down. He went on to be named Finals MVP and would go on to win two more titles for the Heat in 2012 and 2013.

Dwyane Wade was one of a kind

Wade was also a 13-time all-star selection, a two-time All-NBA First Team Selection, a three-time All-NBA Second Team Selection, a three-time All-NBA Third Team Selection, a three-time All-Defensive Second Team selection, a one-time scoring champion, and was named a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team and had his No. 3 retired by the Heat.

Truth be told, Wade was one of the most complete players to grace an NBA court regardless of position. When he was at his peak before all the injuries, nobody could guard him or keep up with him. He was insanely gifted with so much talent, but due to his unique style of play, he had to deal with the bumps and bruises he endured as he willingly sacrificed his body as he always tried to lead his team to victory.

Wade was a fearless competitor, always attacking, falling down, and getting right back up. Many felt that Wade was robbed of the 2009 MVP award when he averaged a career-high 30.2 points per game while leading the NBA in scoring that season.

People still find reasons to try and criticize Wade’s legacy due to the fact that he always had other superstars to come join him in pursuit of championships. If anything, the fact that those players wanted to come join forces with him should be viewed as a feather in his cap instead of a blemish on his resume.

The fact that Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh all left their respective teams to come join Wade in Miami speaks volumes about his character, leadership, and commitment to being great. Those players chose to come to Miami because of him and Wade didn’t leave Miami until he was basically forced to.

The numbers also back up the claims that he was one of the greatest shooting guards of all time as well and deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Clyde Drexler, Reggie Miller, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady, and George Gervin. Among the greatest shooting guards in the history of the NBA, Wade ranks fifth all-time in assists, ninth all-time in rebounds, ninth all-time in steals, second all-time in blocks, and sixth all-time in points.

If only his body didn’t slow him down due to multiple injuries throughout his career, then a lot of these numbers would have been a lot higher. Wade was not only a basketball phenom to the Heat fans but he became an iconic figure as the face of their franchise where he helped establish a culture that they are still well known for to this day.

Wade is truly deserving of this prestigious honor and will always be remembered as he takes his rightful place among the greats. Congratulations Dwayne “Flash” Wade on a spectacular career.