In June, this year, Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade became a part of Shannon Sharpe’ Club Shay Shay. Sitting down for a chat, the two discussed a variety of different topics, including LeBron James and his time in South Beach. While the Heatles did have success, it took a while to get things running. This only happened after D-Wade removed the “hesitation” surrounding King James and gave him the green light to lead the team after their 2011 NBA Finals loss.
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Years prior to them teaming up in Miami, LeBron and Wade were heated rivals. Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat respectively, the two went head-to-head on stats. They regularly crossed paths in the MVP race, and this was exactly the case in 2009, the year prior to The King’s move to Miami.
Dwyane Wade gave LeBron James the green light to take over after the 2011 NBA Finals
The 2011 NBA Finals was a wake-up call for Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. Despite having LeBron James on the roster, they failed to secure an NBA Championship. This made D-Wade realize that there was something holding the Heat back from achieving greatness, and that was King James himself.
It was not that Bron was a liability. No, it was that he still had a sense of hesitation around him as a new member of the Miami Heat. A hesitation that prevented him from performing at his level best. Flash took note of this and immediately acted upon it.
Explaining how it works, specifically when it comes to the touches Bron gets, he revealed how he took this hesitation away. He knew that The King was one of the greatest in the league at the time, with Kobe Bryant being the only one ahead of him. And so, to bring out that greatness, he decided to give James the green light to go out onto the court and be “that dude”.
“So for me, I was like, ‘Okay! If we’re gonna reach the level that we’re gonna reach…and how I can help us, is to take that hesitation out of one of the game’s greatest players!’. I’ve watched him play and I know how he plays, ‘Ah…I shot two in a row, D-Wade ain’t…it’s human nature…D-Wade hasn’t had a bucket in a while!’. Nah bro! Press on! You that dude! Go be that dude!”
For the most part, it worked. Wade’s decision to step out of the spotlight allowed LeBron to completely take over. In the following three seasons, the Heat made the Finals, all three times, winning two NBA Championships. A huge achievement, and one that gave The King his first taste of championship success.
D-Wade stepped back for Bron just as Shaquille O’Neal did for him
Dwyane Wade learned how to take a backseat from one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Just as D-Wade took a step back for LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal did the same for him back in 2004.
Joining the team after a tumultuous end to his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaq was used to being the face of the franchise. However, upon analyzing the Heat’s roster, he realized he needed to hand the driver’s seat to Wade. It was this decision that propelled the Heat to their first-ever championship in 2006.
Fortunately, it worked on the second time of asking as well. Fast forward to 2023, and the Heat are one of the most successful franchises in NBA history, with the Heatles being one of the most dominant groups of all time.
