Dwyane Wade is widely considered to be one of the best shooting guards in NBA history and the greatest Miami Heat player ever.
The first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee was a key figure in the franchise's three NBA titles and racked up numerous individual accolades throughout the 2000s and early 2010s.
|Dwayne Wade Career Stats|
|Category|Stat|
|Points per game|22.0|
|Assists per game|5.4|
|Rebounds per game|4.7|
|Steals per game|1.5|
|Blocks per game|0.8|
|Career awards|13x All-Star, 2x All-NBA First Team, 3x All-NBA Second Team, 3x All-NBA Third Team|
|NBA titles|3|
|---|
During Wade's 16-year career, he competed with and against some of the NBA's greatest icons. It didn't matter whether the 13-time All-Star was able to share the court with these legends in a high-stakes playoff series or a regular-season game in January; several of them left a strong impression on him.
With his background, Wade is as qualified as anyone to discuss how the greats stack up against each other in the all-time pantheon. In a recent interview on The Timeout podcast, Flash revealed who he believes the seven most influential players he shared the court with are, and this list has two glaring omissions.
Michael Jordan
One caveat to this list is fittingly Michael Jordan, as Wade and MJ never actually shared an NBA floor. The Chicago Bulls' icon retired after the 2002-03 season, while the Miami Heat selected a standout shooting guard from Marquette in the following Draft. Still, it's no surprise that Wade mentioned Jordan first.
Widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time, His Airness shot up the NBA's popularity like a rocket ship during his prime. Fans were drawn to Jordan's unparalleled athleticism as well as his insurmountable will throughout the 90s. Almost all the most-watched basketball games ever include MJ during the second three-peat.
The six-time champion and Finals MVP ultimately put together a resume that few can compare to. Wade was born in 1982 in Chicago, Illinois, so he experienced practically the entire MJ-Bulls era throughout his childhood and young teens. Including Jordan on a list like this was always going to be inevitable, especially since the two played the same position.
|Michael Jordan Career Stats|
|Category|Stat|
|Points per game|30.1|
|Assists per game|5.3|
|Rebounds per game|6.2|
|Steals per game|2.3|
|Blocks per game|0.8|
|Career awards|5x MVP, 14x All-Star, 10x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-NBA Second Team|
|NBA titles|6|
|---|
"I'll say my introduction with basketball started with Michael Jordan. Before Michael Jordan, I knew history, but I never really watched them."
Kobe Bryant
The ultimate workhorse who helped popularize the Mamba Mentality, Kobe Bryant faced off against Dwyane Wade 20 times in his career, going 9-11 against the Heat legend.
Akin to MJ, Kobe's relentless work ethic, leadership, and ability to evolve and improve his game inspired millions throughout his 20 years in the NBA. This eternal mentality extends to this day beyond the basketball court, propelling so many to pursue whatever their passion is to its fullest capacity.
Bryant has too many iconic playoff moments to count during his five title quests. He is believed by many including Magic Johnson to be the greatest Los Angeles Lakers player of all time and formed one of the sport's most decorated duos alongside another legendary player on this list.
|Kobe Bryant Career Stats|
|Category|Stat|
|Points per game|25.0|
|Assists per game|4.7|
|Rebounds per game|5.2|
|Steals per game|1.4|
|Blocks per game|0.5|
|Career awards|1x MVP, 18x All-Star, 11x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 2x All-NBA Third Team|
|NBA titles|5|
|---|
"I go Kobe, I mean, they (Kobe and MJ) were the same player."
LeBron James
The King is one of two players on this list with whom Wade shared the floor, and he's still somehow playing at age 40. Wade saw firsthand the evolution of LeBron James from an already Hall of Fame player scratching and clawing for his first NBA championship to the all-time clutch, title-winning force he went on to be.
While LeBron's cement is still dry, his popularity, imprint on position-less basketball, and ability to run an offense at the small forward position are still in effect in the modern day.
There's a reason why those who don't consider Jordan the greatest player ever often cite LeBron. For many millennials and Gen-Zers, he was their modern-day Superman. Overall, Wade played against James 31 times, compiling a record of 15-16 while also winning two championships with him in South Beach.
|LeBron James Career Stats|
|Category|Stat|
|Points per game|27.0|
|Assists per game|7.4|
|Rebounds per game|7.5|
|Steals per game|1.5|
|Blocks per game|0.7|
|Career awards|4x MVP, 21x All-Star, 13x All-NBA First Team, 4x All-NBA Second Team, 4x All-NBA Third Team|
|NBA titles|4|
|---|
"I go obviously LeBron, I never saw a greater basketball player when it comes to the way he plays this game."
Allen Iverson
While Allen Iverson was a no-question first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee, you generally don't find him too high on Greatest of All-Time lists. However, the former Georgetown standout's influence on the game of basketball is eternal.
The conglomeration of his miniature size, fearless ambition, entertaining personality, signature crossover, and, not to mention, his renowned cornrows and long shorts created a larger-than-life figure beyond the state of Pennsylvania. AI was unapologetically himself in the face of adversity that would make many crumble.
Iverson and Wade played each other 16 times, going 8-8 in these matchups.
|Allen Iverson Career Stats|
|Category|Stat|
|Points per game|26.7|
|Assists per game|6.2|
|Rebounds per game|3.7|
|Steals per game|2.2|
|Blocks per game|0.2|
|Career awards|1x MVP, 11x All-Star, 3x All-NBA First Team, 3x All-NBA Second Team, 1x All-NBA Third Team|
|---|
"I go AI (Allen Iverson), just one of my favorite players, just a little dude and there's nothing you can do with him. He was just confidence walking."
Stephen Curry
If the greatest point guard of all time isn't Magic Johnson, it's likely this guy. Like LeBron, Stephen Curry is still carving his legacy, but his impact in revolutionizing the game from three-point range is not going away anytime soon.
The Golden State Warriors' GOAT had an inspiring journey, starting as a three-star recruit out of high school, where he played college basketball at a small liberal arts school in Davidson, North Carolina.
One magical NCAA Tournament run later, Curry became a household name. About seven years later, he changed the way the public viewed the lead guard position. Shortly after that, the greatest shooter ever cemented the Golden State Warriors as the NBA's next great dynasty.
Wade and Curry played each other 11 times, with Curry compiling a winning record of 6-5 in these matchups.
|Stephen Curry Career Stats|
|Category|Stat|
|Points per game|24.7|
|Assists per game|6.4|
|Rebounds per game|4.7|
|Steals per game|1.5|
|Blocks per game|0.3|
|Career awards|2x MVP, 11x All-Star, 4x All-NBA First Team, 5x All-NBA Second Team, 2x All-NBA Third Team|
|NBA titles|4|
|---|
"I go with Steph Curry, I never saw a player that takes over a league midpoint, Steph just did it in a whole different way."
Shaquille O'Neal
Aside from maybe Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal is the most dominant center in NBA history. Opponents knew exactly what he wanted to do and could not stop him. Shaq overwhelmed opponents with his domineering size, strength, and agility as well as his very underrated touch around the rim.
O'Neal won three titles with one legendary shooting guard, Kobe Bryant, in Los Angeles, and another one with Wade himself in Miami. Diesel changed the game with its implementation of stronger backboards, the defensive three-second rule, and opponents' trying out the infamous Hack-a-Shaq strategy.
O'Neal has additionally been a preeminent figure in pop culture from the 90s to this very day. In addition to their championship, Shaq and Wade played each other 11 times, with Shaq holding the advantage over his ex-teammate 8-3.
|Shaquille O'Neal Career Stats|
|Category|Stat|
|Points per game|23.7|
|Assists per game|2.5|
|Rebounds per game|10.9|
|Steals per game|0.6|
|Blocks per game|2.3|
|Career awards|1x MVP, 15x All-Star, 8x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 4x All-NBA Third Team|
|NBA titles|4|
|---|
"Big Shaq, big D, I have never seen a more dominant force playing this game."
Kevin Garnett
The Big Ticket is another ultimate competitor on his list, and his vibrant personality always kept the cameras on him even after the final whistle was blown. Kevin Garnett is, without a doubt, one of the greatest power forwards of all time and one of the greatest defenders ever.
He was the kind of player fans either loved or hated, and that largely depended on whether he was on their team or not. After a legendary tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Garnett went on to win his first and only NBA championship with the Boston Celtics.
Paul Pierce may have won Finals MVP in that 2008 series against the Lakers, but KG was the best player on that team. Garnett and Wade played each other 45 times, including in a few playoff series, with the Hall of Fame power forward leading 24-21 in these matchups.
|Kevin Garnett Career Stats|
|Category|Stat|
|Points per game|17.8|
|Assists per game|3.7|
|Rebounds per game|10.0|
|Steals per game|1.3|
|Blocks per game|1.4|
|Career awards|1x MVP, 15x All-Star, 4x All-NBA First Team, 3x All-NBA Second Team, 2x All-NBA Third Team|
|NBA titles|1|
|---|
"The last one is Kevin Garnett — he was one of the most versatile players that I have ever seen play the game of basketball."
The two glaring omissions from this list are Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki, who are both, coincidentally, the main culprits in Wade's two NBA Finals losses.
Duncan is considered by many to be the greatest power forward of all time, while Nowitzki had a heavy impact on the evolution of the modern-day skilled big man. Overall, though, it's Wade's list, and he, more than anyone else, is definitely a credible authority on this topic.