Yesterday marked the anniversary of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James’ iconic photo, where Wade held out his hands as the King threw it down. It has been 15 years since we witnessed the moment, and it remains one of the coolest photos the NBA has ever produced. Recently, Jalen Suggs of the Orlando Magic attempted to recreate the iconic photo, and it went viral.
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Among those who saw Suggs’ attempt was Wade himself. He said he was eating dinner with his family and watching the game when he saw it happen, and he thought it was really cool.
Not only that, but Wade also recalled that this was not the first time Suggs had tried to recreate his iconic photo. It meant a lot to the Miami Heat legend.
“There are certain moments in sports that are so iconic that other people recreate them. And so, to see Suggs recreate the handout photo of Bron and I, it was dope,” Wade shared on his podcast Time Out. “I was actually watching the game.
“Like, I watched it happen live, and I’m like, dang, did he just do what I think he did? I actually rewinded the TV.”
Wade is still a massive fan of the NBA, and he tries to watch as much as he can. But he never expected to see his old move recreated right in front of his face on live TV. It shocked him, and he felt honored.
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Wade later shared that some fans often forget that his pass to James in the original photo wasn’t a lob pass. Regardless, he still explained why he felt so honored.
“Players, they keep your legacy alive, they keep conversations happening about you,” Wade professed. “Tyrese Haliburton last year, when he did the Reggie Miller, he kept the conversation going with Reggie. He gave Reggie a moment. And so, when you see a guy pay some homage to you, you pay some respect to them.”
It is an excellent point that the Hall of Famer made. Most NBA players today grow up watching the sport throughout their childhood. During that time, they witness moments that stick in the memory bank. Suggs chose to recreate a moment that was special to him.
It is great that Wade is okay with Suggs recreating his iconic photo. Other sports personalities might get grumpy and point out that it was not a good recreation. But the point is that Suggs was thinking about Wade when he did it. That, in and of itself, was cool enough for the Hall of Famer to find some joy in the act.
