Dwyane Wade is one of the most gifted guards of the modern era. His tenacity and viciousness on the court combined with the skill to execute ridiculous athleticism made him a feared star. His tenure with Miami Heat pushed him to face legendary Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. The two, in time, developed quite a rivalry. And despite the rivalry, Wade couldn’t help but be impressed by Mamba’s one move that was unstoppable for defenders.
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Wade and Kobe’s rivalry was epic. Every Lakers vs Miami match, with this two on the playing roster, was epic. Their duels transcended just the scope of the NBA. For them it wasn’t about just winning, it was about legacy. The two were fighting to establish who would end up on top after it was all said and done.
And though at times their rivalry gave birth to some tension, it was all for the spirit of competition. At the end of the day, they both acknowledged each other as extraordinary talents.
Perhaps Dwyane Wade respected Kobe a tad bit more than Bryant respected Wade. He displayed that respect in an interview where he detailed 1 move that left him in the dust.
Dwyane Wade revealed what made Kobe Bryant so lethal
In an interview, Wade narrated the time he found Kobe practicing before a game. He started by reminding everyone that he is a Kobe fan and noted how the Black Mamba was using only one move.
Bryant was practicing his shot from the mid-post and just practiced that one shot again and again. Despite watching him practice this all game, Wade had no chance of stopping it in the game. He claimed how that is exactly what made Kobe Bryant so incredible.
Dwyane Wade: “Like, I remember watching one game where we were getting ready to play the Lakers.” He continues, “I am a Kobe fan. I am watching him warm up and he literally, the entire warm-up, he did one shot. He was in a mid-post and he just kept turning over the left shoulder over and over and over. So, I go into the game knowing he about to turn the left shoulder over and over and I couldn’t stop it. “
Wade broke Kobe’s nose in an All-Star game
As we said earlier, the Kobe and Wade rivalry was something else. Those of us who watched the two titans clash still get excited at the memory of their battles.
But Dwyane Wade once took this rivalry to an extreme. During the 2012 All-Star game, Wade’s flagrant foul fractured Bryant’s nose. Though the Mamba took it positively, he did punish the Miami Heat the next time he met them.