LeBron James may be the most recognizable name from the 2003 draft class, but the class as a whole is still considered one of the most culturally impactful in NBA history. Four of the top five picks became Hall of Famers — with Darko Milicic at No. 2 being the lone exception — and four became NBA champions, with Carmelo Anthony being the only one without a ring. While Milicic was the first from the class to win a title as part of the 2004 Pistons, it was Dwyane Wade who earned the first Finals MVP. His close friendship with James and Anthony meant he couldn’t resist rubbing it in just a little.
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On the Pardon My Take podcast, Wade fielded a ton of questions from the hosts, the first among them being if he felt a sense of relief after clinching the 2006 title. Not only did he win a Finals MVP for it, but Wade achieved the success in just his 3rd year, effectively setting himself apart from the rest of his draft class.
When asked if he flaunted his title a bit, Wade laughed and said his friends probably found him to be annoying for a while. “Oh, I was probably annoying as hell to my friends,” he joked.
“Right after the championship in ’06, LeBron had a bikeathon in Cleveland, and I was there. You don’t go to Cleveland for a bikeathon after you win a championship, you go somewhere else.”
The Miami Heat legend claimed he had the choice of going anywhere in the world to celebrate, but he wanted to show off a little in front of his fellow draftees. “And I knew Melo was gon be there, I wanted them to see that I was a champion,” he added.
James indeed held a bikeathon in Cleveland in the summer of 2006, where he provided brand-new bikes to almost 300 schoolchildren in the area. All reports also point to Wade being there, though they don’t mention anything about him gloating in front of James.
Wade’s first title was not just a sheer show of talent from the youngster to put him on the map — it also meant a lot to other members of his team. For Gary Payton, it was his first title after 16 years in the league. For Shaquille O’Neal, it was a testament that he wasn’t the root cause of the problems in L.A. following his nasty split with Kobe Bryant.
In the Finals, the Heat came back from 0–2 down to win four in a row against a 60-win Mavericks team led by MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki. In just his third year, Wade showed the grit and determination to pull off a comeback on the biggest stage. But he has always maintained that he was mentored to greatness by his teammates, most specifically, Shaq.
How Shaq made Dwyane Wade the player he is today
Shaq joined Miami in 2004 with a reputation for being difficult to play with. His ego, along with his highly publicized feud with Kobe Bryant, had made him appear like damaged goods by the time he arrived in South Beach. But Wade later said he got the ‘easier part’ of Shaq as his mentor.
“I got the easier part of Shaq. Like he already had won 3, he was one of the biggest stars in the world, he was so accomplished and secure by the time he got to Miami, and all he wanted to do was win another ring,” he said.
“He knew that I was one of the ones who could help him get to that. He was amazing with me, man. He really pumped a lot of juice into me, was telling me things I didn’t even know.”
Wade said that Shaq’s belief in him fueled his growth, recalling how Shaq once told him he would become one of the greatest shooting guards the NBA had ever seen.
