Dwayne Wade has accounted for some memorable plays over his career, but according to the three-time NBA champion, one specific play which inculcated Shaquille O’Neal stands out to Flash.
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Wade was an exquisite basketball player right from his formative years. Using the blueprint set for himself by those before him, the 41-year-old enhanced his productivity and output immensely.
His exceptional ability encouraged the Miami Heat to place him in a triumphant position from his sophomore year onwards. In tangent, Pat Riley and the Miami Heat acquired Shaquille O’Neal in the summer of 2004.
Wade and O’Neal made for a formidable duo, even winning the coveted NBA title in 2006. Diesel and Flash spent four successful years together. Within this phase, they produced several indelible magical plays on the court.
Dwayne Wade once went as far as to say that one particular play involving an alley-oop between O’Neal and himself has made its way into the three-time NBA champions’ top-five play of all time.
Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O’Neal’s highlight reel alley-oop against LeBron James has made Wade’s Top-Five list.
Wade made his way into the NBA in 2003. Accordingly, he has played beside and against some of the greatest talents the game has produced. And in the face of adversity, Wade rose to the occasion on multiple occasions.
One such time was when the Miami Heat hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wade and O’Neal were entangled in an intense battle with LeBron James. The game saw Wade exhibit a moment of magic unlike anything ever seen before.
The Heat blew out the Cavaliers emphatically and acquired a 26-point lead and picked up the victory. As the game drew close, Wade picked up a defensive rebound nearby the touchline in his own half but was immediately pressured.
Instead, the American, in a moment of brilliance, wrapped and dribbled the ball around his defender, leaving him confused, before throwing up a half-court alley-oop to O’Neal at the offensive end of the floor. Absolutely ridiculous from Wade.
17 years ago today, Dwyane Wade & Shaq connected on one of Wade’s top 5 favorite plays of his career! pic.twitter.com/7qIjvZGdA0
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 2, 2023
Speaking about the highlight reel play, Wade said:
“This is iconic to me, you know, all Cleveland, going out of bounds, to throw it to the other side of Sasha, to throw it and be able to throw the lob to big fella, to Shaq..Definietely also one of my top five favourite plays of my career.”
No doubt it was an all-time great play, given the magnitude of the achievement. To pull off a play as ludicrous as the one Wade produced can only be replicated by a handful.
Also read: Michael Jordan Made Sonny Vaccaro An Unusual Demand During Nike Contract Negotiations
How good were D.Wade and Shaq?
The Shaquille O’Neal and Dwayne Wade alliance. Although it was short-lived, the pairing of O’Neal and Wade was extremely fruitful. They had multiple successful campaigns, finishing within the top four in the eastern conference.
Their eminent moment arrived in 2006 when they eclipsed the Dallas Mavericks to capture their first-ever NBA championship, courtesy of Wade principally.
Flash averaged a staggering 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 6 games during the 2006 NBA Finals. Clinical.
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