The announcement of Shaquille O’Neal pairing with a young Dwyane Wade sent tremors down the league. At the time, the Big Diesel was coming off a bitter breakup with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers post a championship dynasty, which included a 3-peat and 3-Finals MVPs.
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On the other hand, the Heat franchise stumbled upon D-Wade as the 5th pick in the legendary draft class of 2003. The young guard from Marquette was impressive from the very go, with his scoring ability being the talking point, earning him a unanimous selection in the All-Rookie First Team.
Wade’s exhibited a certain maturity in his performances from a very young age, making him the ideal candidate to mentor, a role The Diesel would happily take up. In the summer of the 2004-05 season, GM Pat Riley pulled off a blockbuster move, acquiring Shaq in a trade with the Lakers.
Coming off a bitter breakup with Kobe Bryant and co, Shaq saw great potential in D-Wade, making Miami his preferred destination for trade.
Shaquille O’Neal reveals how Dwyane Wade surprised him.
Wade and O’Neal coming on board was an instant success, reaching the ECF in their first season and missing the Finals by a whisker, taking the series to a Game Seven against the Pistons. The very next season, they brought the city of Miami their first NBA championship in 2006.
Facing the favorites Mavericks led by Dirk Nowitzki, the Heat would surprise everyone, flipping the switch after being down 0-2 in the Finals, with Wade going nuclear as Shaq took a bit of backseat but played the role of a catalyst, mentoring the 2006 Finals MVP.
In an old clip below, Shaq gets candid on teammate Wade, admitting being surprised.
“This guy (D-Wade) does things that you didn’t know he was capable of doing. And then off the court, mild-mannered, nice humble guy, does things the right way, family guy, beautiful wife beautiful son, he’s just a down to earth, simple guy.”
Finding a resemblance of superheroes in the 6ft 4″ guard, Shaq said the following.
“You look at most superheroes that’s how they are. They’re very humble, very shy, very geeky-like, and then when it comes time to be the superhero then they get into that bravado mode, that’s how Mr. Wade is and that’s one of the reason I came here.”
Dwyane Wade narrates Shaquille O’Neal coining the nickname Flash.
In a conversation with Kevin Garnett, Wade revealed how he initially didn’t like the name but later understood the reason behind the same.
“When he gave it to me I didn’t like it at first, but he told the media and it started catching on. And I started to see what he saw. I was like ‘Man I am fast,’ then I bought into it.”
Though the two superstars would go separate ways in the midst of the 2008-09 season, they continue to hold a close association and are seen as co-panelists on TNT.
Also read: $175 million worth Dwyane Wade recalls Shaquille O’Neal calling him one of the greats
