One of Dwyane Wade’s most prominent career decisions was to take a backseat in the Miami Heat and recruit superstar LeBron James to the team. This earned him unwavering praise from several league veterans, including Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who called him the ‘greatest unselfish superstar of all time’ in 2013.
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Being the face of the Miami Heat franchise for years, it was hard for D-Wade to accept such a proposition. However, he realized this moment while watching the Lakers and the Celtics play in the 2010 NBA Finals. In that season, the Heat had made it to the playoffs for the second straight year under coach Erik Spoelstra, only to meet a quick exit in the first round by the Boston Celtics.
Watching Kobe Bryant play in the Finals had sparked a new vigor for another championship run for the Flash. Speaking to Magic Johnson after winning the 2013 NBA Finals, Wade said,
“I remember watching the Finals in 2010, watching the Lakers and the Celtics. And I remember watching Kobe run down to get that ball for his fifth championship. And I said, ‘I want that, I want that again!’
Of course, being equally dominant as the Mamba back then, Wade did feel jealous to see a fellow league rival win his fifth championship. Further explaining his reason for vehemently pursuing another championship, Wade added,
“And I cut the TV off ’cause I’m a hater, and I was mad. But I wanted that again. I wanted a team that can compete for a championship every year, and I knew I was going to have to take a step back. It wasn’t easy, it still not easy, but I wanted to win!”
Here is a clip from this interaction between Johnson and D-Wade, uploaded by Wade Legacy on Instagram.
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Indeed, Wade’s sacrifice helped form the Big Three in Miami, starring himself, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh. The Big Three were key in reinstating Pat Riley’s ‘Heat culture’ and forming a new dynasty. The trio won two consecutive championships in 2012 and 2013, thus proving how the Flash’s crucial step back was a crucial decision in the Heat’s newfound success post-2010.
The Miami Heat’s Big 3 were a dominant force in the league back in the day
The Miami Heat’s Big 3 were an unstoppable force and a force beyond reckoning between the years 2010 to 2014. The trio reached four straight finals from 2011 to 2014 and had a record of winning two of them consecutively in 2012 and 2013. The 2013 NBA Finals was particularly special as the Heat beat the Spurs dynasty to win their back-to-back championships.
Interestingly, through all these campaigns, Dwyane Wade had always been a No. 2 to LeBron James, despite being the face of the franchise since 2003. D-Wade’s sacrifice can be measured by how he accepted a significant $17 million pay cut to accommodate LBJ and Chris Bosh to form the Big 3.
Indeed, Magic Johnson conferring the title of ‘unselfish player’ to Dwyane Wade makes sense. Had it not been for Wade’s sacrifice, Miami would not have reached the heights of success it did back in the day.
