The Miami Heat organization honored arguably their best player in franchise history Dwyane Wade by retiring his no.3 jersey high up the rafters of the AmericanAirlines Arena on Friday.
Miami has been home to plenty of superstars over the years, but there’s no doubt that South Beach will always be Wade County.
Wade had a slight detour opting to play for his hometown Chicago Bulls in 2016 before his rather unforgettable stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018.
But “The Flash” always knew that Miami is where home is, and he returned and finished his illustrious career with the team.
The Heat’s fortunes turned around ever since they picked the Marquette product fifth overall in the loaded 2003 NBA Draft.
Wade brought three NBA titles to Miami, all the while winning one Finals MVP and being named an All-Star 13 times.
He will now join the likes of Miami greats Alonzo Mourning (no. 33) Tim Hardaway (10), Shaquille O’Neal (32), and Chris Bosh (1) as the fifth player in history to have his number immortalized.
Let’s have a look at some of Wade’s best career-defining highlights and moments with the Miami Heat.
Best scoring game — career-high 55 points vs. the New York Knicks in Miami
Wade is one of the best all-around players the league has ever seen, on top of being one of the best shot-blocking guards in his prime.
The 6-foot-4 guard has career averages of 22.3 points, but we don’t really see him go on scoring rampages that much. Wade notched his career-high scoring at the peak of his powers in 2009. He dropped 55 points against the New York Knicks, shooting an efficient 19-for-30 from the field.
Wade wasn’t much of a shooter either, but he torched New York that night by going 6-of-12 from deep. Before multiple injuries slowed him down, Wade was indeed truly unguardable and struck fear to the eyes of every defender.
Best highlight — poster dunk over Anderson Varejao
At 6-foot-4, Wade was often dwarfed by some of the bigger shooting guards and wing players in the game. But he more than made up for it with his blistering speed and reflexes. D-Wade was also a natural athlete and put plenty of defenders on sickening posters throughout his 16-year career.
Back on November 12, 2009, Wade and the Heat played the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers at home. With LeBron getting his dunk attempt denied on the other end, Wade turned on the jets for the fast break and decided to go coast-to-coast.
With decent shot-blocker Anderson Varejao waiting for him at the apex, Wade used a nifty euro-step before unleashing a one-handed hammer right over the top of the Brazilian. Varejao immediately fell to the ground after the contact and hit his head on the barrier. Adding insult to injury, Wade channeled his inner Iverson and stepped over the downed center.
To this day, that dunk remains as one of the nastiest posters in all of basketball.
Best game-winner — Clutch floater vs Hornets in Wade’s playoff debut
What made Wade among one of the greats was his ability to come up big in crucial stretches. D-Wade made plenty of clutch plays over the course of 16 seasons. But it was his shot during Game 1 of the 2004 Eastern Conference First Round against the Charlotte Hornets that put the league on notice on just how special of a player he was.
With the game knotted at 79, Wade, who was a rookie at the time, sized up All-Star Baron Davis. He made his move with a quick crossover followed by a tough contested tear-drop to put his team on the driver’s seat.
At a time when the league was fixated on Wade’s fellow high-profile rookies LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, that shot solidified his claim as a player to watch out for.
Best moment — First NBA title and Finals MVP
Wade won three titles in South Beach, with the last two alongside his good friends LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. But his first one will always be the most memorable of them all. Wade was untouchable in 2006 NBA Finals, as the Heat turned back the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks in six games.
Wade notched a whopping 34 points throughout the series — punctuated by two 40+ point performances en-route to the well-deserved Finals MVP award.
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