Dwyane Wade is going to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer this year. He might’ve had an even headier legacy but for some unfortunate injuries.
Advertisement
Wade established himself as an exciting NBA prospect through 3 seasons at Marquette university. He earned himself the nickname ‘The Flash’ for his absurdly athletic, yet graceful play on the court.
D-Wade had the best season among all the rookies of his class with Miami, winning them a playoff game. He could’ve won the 2005 NBA championship barring an injury that changed the course of their Conference Finals.
Not to be denied in his third season, Wade led the Heat to a 4-2 win over Dallas in 2006. His Finals MVP effort ranks among the top-5 Finals performances of all time.
Players under 25 to average 25+ PPG during the playoffs in a championship run in the last 50 years
Kobe Bryant 2001 29.4
Dwyane Wade 2006 28.4
Kobe Bryant 2002 26.6
Kyrie Irving 2016 25.2 pic.twitter.com/EerqbBnYd1— Tupac (@TupacAG) September 17, 2022
By 2010, he was considered right there alongside LeBron James and Kobe Bryant among the top-3 NBA players.
Michael Jordan challenged Dwyane Wade to win MVP at the All-Star Game
The NBA hosted its All-Star weekend festivities in a football dome in 2010, marking a departure from the norm. The immense, 110,000-seater stadium was sold out over the weekend.
Dwyane Wade, who was making his 6th appearance at the festivities, met Michael Jordan with his family before the game. According to D-Wade, MJ had a message for him:
“He just told me to go get it. [It] was the All-Star weekend [in] Dallas, and we doing an All Star party, and my whole family was there, Jordan was there. My family, they’d never met Jordan… Jordan is amazing with everybody, we’re all with the Jordan family, it is what it is.”
“And we’re talking, and he put his arm around me and he said, ‘Tomorrow, go get it.’ That’s all he said and I’m like, ‘What is he talking about?’ He was like, ‘Yo, I want you to go get it.’”
“When I got in the locker room and I got on the court, I realized what it meant. He meant go get that MVP. He meant go for it, go create your history.”
Dwyane Wade Recalls Crazy Michael Jordan Encounter At Dallas Cowboys Stadium: “He Put His Arm Around Me And Said, Tomorrow, Go Get It” https://t.co/SsKJ37w8Xj
— @nfl @nba @yankees @dallascowboys #DallasCowboys (@Tony_Cleveland) December 25, 2021
MJ and Wade share more history
Captivated by his uber-athletic slashing abilities, Michael Jordan pitched and signed Dwyane Wade to Jordan Brand as a rookie. The decision paid off for the first 7 years of his career.
D-Wade played the best years of his career under the Nike umbrella, wearing his own Air Jordans. However, he switched allegiances to the Chinese Li-Ning brand after 2012.
