While many have shared their lists of the best basketball players in NBA history, only a few have done it as eloquently as Dwyane Wade. The Miami Heat legend revealed his ‘Top 7’ in a recent edition of his WY Network podcast, naming giants of the game as well as one “giant killer”.
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Wade himself is as accomplished a superstar as a three-time NBA Champion, a 13-time All-Star, a Finals MVP, and now a Hall of Famer. So, that makes the 43-year-old’s list intriguing and interesting. Did he name himself? Well…
The first name should not surprise anyone. “My introduction to basketball started with Michael Jordan. Before Michael Jordan, even though I know the greats, I know the history, I never really watched them,” admitted Wade, who then prefaced that the remaining players on his list would not be in any order, just how they were coming to his mind.
“I go MJ. I go Kobe [Bryant]. I mean, they were the same player. You saw one, you saw the other,” said Wade.
“Obviously LeBron [James],” he added. “Getting a chance to watch him play, but I got a chance to see him up close and personal for four years in a row. I never saw a greater basketball player when it comes to the way he plays this game. I watched Jordan from afar.”
D-Wade highlighted the next name on the list as one of his all-time favorites. And how could it not be? It was someone who changed the culture of basketball across the world.
“From there, I’ll go with AI [Allen Iverson]. One of my favorite players. Just a little dude who just, there’s nothing you can do with him. The way he was just a giant killer. He attacked everybody in front of him,” described Wade.
Wade has always been very public about his love for AI, and it’s a well-known fact that he wore the number 3 on his back during his playing career as a tribute to him. But who else graced this incredible list?
Wade’s final three choices were as spectacular as his previous four.
Steph Curry: Steph didn’t do it in a whole different way that we didn’t see coming.
Shaquille O’Neal: I’ve never seen a more dominant force play this game.
Kevin Garnett: Kevin Garnett was one of the most versatile players I’ve seen play basketball.
It’s honestly hard to argue about any of the choices. Those seven names combined for a total of 24 championships. Each man dominated the game in a different way and found success in the best league in the world.
Wade certainly belongs on someone’s list himself. That said, it was very cool to hear a legend’s rankings of other players.
