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- CLUTCH Summary: Former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade has had enough memorable moments to fill a museum with.
- While some of the games came at home, some of Wade's most memorable performances were on the road.
- Without question, Wade will go down as one of the best NBA players in the history of the league.
Dwyane Wade, without question, will go down in history as one of the best to have ever played the sport. He is arguably an all-time Top 5 shooting guard, and he has an illustrious career to prove it.
Wade has had so many memorable performances in his 16-year tenure that it was quite challenging to narrow it down to just five of his greatest performances throughout his career. Nonetheless, we have come up with what we consider to be a pretty comprehensive list which highlights some of the most memorable moments in Wade's unforgettable career.
5. vs. New York Knicks (Apr 12, 2009)
This was literally Dwyane Wade at his best. On this fateful date, the 13-time All-Star would absolutely torch the hapless New York Knicks, as he would go on to score a career-high 55 points on 19-of-30 shooting. Wade went 6-of-12 from deep in what was easily the best offensive game in his career.
This game was an excellent representation of Wade's scoring consistency throughout the season, as he would deservedly end up winning the league's scoring title after averaging 30.2 points per ballgame on a highly-efficient 49.1 percent from the field.
4. vs. Golden State Warriors (Feb 27, 2019)
We would not have done justice to this list if we did not include at least one game from last season's farewell tour. Indeed, there were several instances in which vintage Wade was on full display, but perhaps his most memorable outing was against the Golden State Warriors at the tail end of the season.
Against the defending champs, Wade put up 25 points (on 10-of-17 shooting), five three-pointers, seven rebounds, three assists, a steal, and two blocks. However, what makes this performance standout the most is his amazing game-winning 25-foot three-pointer at the buzzer. It wasn't the prettiest of treys, but it was pretty epic nonetheless.
3. vs. New Orleans Hornets (Apr 18, 2004 – Playoffs first round, Game 1)
At this point, we transition to Wade's most unforgettable postseason performances. The future Hall of Famer is as clutch as it gets, and as they say, the best of them shine the brightest when the stakes are the highest. This is an extremely accurate depiction of Wade, and his first ever playoffs game was a clear indication of things to come.
On April 18, 2004, Wade made his postseason debut against the New Orleans Hornets. As a rookie, Wade did not seem to shy away from the spotlight, as he finished with 21 points (on 8-of-19 from the floor), a three-pointer, five rebounds, five assists, and a steal as he led the Heat to the victory. The cherry on top of the cake was Wade's tremendous game-winning floater following a nasty cross-over against Baron Davis.
2. vs. San Antonio Spurs (Jun 20, 2013 – NBA Finals, Game 7)
In 2013, Wade won his third and final title with the Heat in what turned out to be the last championship of Miami's famed “Big Three.” The odds were stacked against the Heat in the series after a Tim Duncan-led Spurs side took a commanding 3-2 series lead after Game 5. However, Miami would end up winning the final two games of the series, with Wade stepping it up when it mattered most.
In a pivotal Game 7 contest, Dwyane Wade would log 23 points (on 11-of-21 from the floor), 10 rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a couple of blocks in 39 minutes of play. What makes this performance even more memorable was the fact that Wade was suffering from a bad left knee, as he even had to have it drained prior to Game 7. The greats do not make excuses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xH8fv6f7cM
1. vs. Dallas Mavericks (Jun 13, 2006 – NBA Finals, Game 3)
As mentioned earlier, it was tough curating Wade's best performances. However, there was really no question that we had to place Wade's first ever championship on top of the list. The 13-time All-Star may have not won a regular season MVP award, but his epic Finals performance in 2006 earned him his one and only Finals MVP trophy. He would average 34.7 points (on 46.8 percent shooting), 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks throughout the six-game series against the Dallas Mavericks.
The best out of the bunch would have to be his Game 3 heroics, where he would lead the Heat to a pivotal victory after going down 2-0 in the series against Dirk Nowitzki and company. Wade set the tone for the rest of the series, as Miami would go on to take the next four games to lift Miami's first title in franchise history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVFaomOg12o
Honestly, we have yet to come to terms with Dwyane Wade's retirement. It certainly won't be the same without him next season, but this is a sad reality we will need to accept. At the end of the day, however, we should all be thanking our lucky stars for having been witnesses to what was one of the greatest careers in NBA history. Farewell, D.
