Dwyane Wade transformed the Miami Heat into a premier NBA franchise, earning 13 All-Star appearances and three championships. Despite his remarkable achievements, such as winning Finals MVP in 2006 and finishing top-10 for MVP seven times, Bleacher Report ranked him 23rd among the top 100 players in NBA history. Players like Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett are ranked ahead, raising questions about criteria for ranking. Wade's defensive prowess and exceptional athleticism during his peak years contribute to the argument for his higher placement in historical rankings.
Wade may be best remembered as LeBron James' second option on a couple of title teams with the Miami Heat, but that perception obscures his dominant work during a 2006 title run after which he won Finals MVP.
Seven top-10 finishes for MVP, a scoring title in 2009 and some of the best shot-blocking numbers for a guard in league history still somehow fail to capture how impactful Wade's athleticism, foul-drawing craft and length made him during a peak stretch that spanned from 2005 to 2013.
Wade had the third-highest Box Plus/Minus in the NBA during that run, behind James and Chris Paul but ahead of Duncan, Bryant, Nowitzki and Garnett.
Nowitzki never won a scoring title and never made the All-Defensive team (Wade made it three times), but he seems to get this boost because he took down the Heat in 2011.
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