There are two types of athletes in the world. Some care more about team accolades, and others chase personal milestones. A combination of two creates the undisputed GOATs, which in basketball is reserved for a select few. The fact that both go hand-in-hand, some learn the hard way. Dwayne Wade was one of them, as he talked about a regret following his 2006 title win.
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Drafted 5th overall by the Miami Heat in the 2003 Draft, Wade went on to achieve success early. He was an All-Star and arguably one of the best in the league. And in 2006, he achieved his lifelong dream of winning the ring. So, what does he do next?
He decides to put collective success as a secondary thought and begins to chase numbers. “To be able to get that chip very early, I was like, ‘Okay, now that I got that out of the way, I can focus on, like, my individual self,” he began on the Pardon My Take podcast. “Now I can get a bit selfish, go out get some awards.”
But very soon, Wade realized that this just wasn’t his thing.
The Chicago native went after MVP titles, scoring titles, and other accolades for the next two years until he realized that what he craved the most was another NBA championship. “Then after a couple of years, I was like, okay, this sucks.”
“Because now, I’ve actually felt what it feels like to hoist that trophy over my head, so now, it [not winning] actually made it worse for my whole career, cuz now I’m chasing that feeling. Nothing else feels like that…,” he added.
Wade had already proven his worth by then. He won in 2006 without a ‘superteam’. Although there were big names in the roster, including an aging Shaquille O’Neal, he was clearly the main man. Also, he won the Finals MVP that year. Miami gave him his flowers.
Dwyane Wade was the best in the world in 2006
There’s never really one best player according to fans, ever. Right? In 2006, however, Pat Riley insisted that D-Wade was the one.
His postseason run, especially his performances in the Finals, took the NBA by storm and solidified him as one of the greats at the young age of 24. Riley, who was the head coach of the Heat, stated on The Dan Le Batard Show that for two weeks in the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, he became the best in the world.
“At the time, became the greatest player in the world during those two weeks. He was incredible. 35 [points] a game, averaging 18-19 free throws a game,” he said.
Wade would go on to win more championships with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013. And although they were memorable, there were other stars in LeBron James and Chris Bosch present to share the spotlight with him. 2006 was just something else.
Still, as far as Wade’s recent comments suggest, all of his championship wins mean much more than the numerous individual awards he has collected over the years.
