‘Kawhi Leonard is 1 of the 18 best to ever do it’: NBA analyst debates why Dwyane Wade’s prime doesn’t match up to what 6ft 7″ Clippers star has already achieved

Kawhi Leonard and Dwyane Wade are two of the most respected players of their eras.

Dwyane Wade became synonymous with the City of Miami and delivered them multiple championships. The Flash was a phenom that burst into the NBA scene in 2003 and attained star status almost immediately.

Such was Wade’s impact on Miami that the city itself is often referred to as “Wade County”. The Flash’s influence was telling and attracted some of the biggest talents in the league to the Heat.

Also read: “Dwyane Wade killed us every game! He took that sh*t personal! : Gilbert Arenas talks about how Heat star went off against his Wizards in the 2005 Playoffs

Kawhi Leonard‘s rise to stardom however was more of a process. Leonard was considered as a project entering the draft. After being moved to the San Antonio Spurs by the Indiana Pacers, Kawhi steadily improved into a defensive role player.

However, once he made the offensive leap, he became one of the most valuable players in the league. In a wing’s league, Kawhi arguably became the most valued commodity.

Dwyane Wade and Kawhi Leonard shared time in the league, but their peaks did not coincide with each other. And recently, a debate has been raging regarding who was the better player at his peak.

Who is NBA Twitter’s pick, DWade or Kawhi Leonard?

The Kawhi vs Wade debate took centerstage on NBA Twitter. Various fans, including NBA analysts, have taken to the popular social media platform to express their views.

Forbes’ James Young stated that peak Kawhi is one of the top 20 players of all time and picked him over Wade.

Absolutely true. Kawhi is one of the 18 or so best to ever do it.

*Dwyane https://t.co/K313HTCvki

— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) July 16, 2022

With both stars having incredible resumes, the debate has been quite intense. Wade’s 2006 ring with an aging Shaq as his running mate and Kawhi’s ring with the Raptors in 2019 have been often been cited in the debate at their peak moments.

Both, therefore, boast legendary championship runs under their lead. Not a lot of NBA stars can make such a claim in a debate.

How has Wade County taken to the debate?

Heat fans have vehemently disputed the claim that Kawhi is better.

ehhh…Peak Wade literally won a championship all by himself. I’m assuming we’d be saying Peak Kawhi was 2019, but that Chip was reliant on injuries to Durant and Klay, or Toronto doesn’t win that series. Peak Kawhi was great. Wade’s was a bit better.

— Slow down and see clearly (@are_selfies) July 15, 2022

Comparing individual skill sets, there is a case to be made for Kawhi being the better player. His two-way skill set is matched by only a rare few in NBA history.

Therefore, is it safe to say that at their absolute best, Kawhi Leonard takes this? Or does The Flash reign supreme in this duel?

Also read: “The league had it’s fun, with Kawhi Leonard back, now it’s our turn!”: Clipper Nation revels in joy as footage of ‘The Klaw’ putting up shots in practice surfaces