Basketball legend Dwyane Wade recently made his thoughts very clear about former NBA player Michael Beasley.
The two players were teammates during Wade's lengthy time as a superstar with the Miami Heat. Beasley initially joined in 2008-09 as a rookie and continued with the team through the 2009-10 season, before stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns.
He then returned to the Heat in 2013 for another season before playing in China with the Shanghai Sharks. Beasley rejoined the Heat in 2015 to participate in 24 games for his third and final time on the team.
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He hasn't appeared in the NBA since 2019, when he played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Since then, Beasley's taken his talents to China and Puerto Rico before landing in the Big3 basketball league.
According to his former teammate, Wade, many people out there still believe the 36-year-old Beasley could bolster an NBA roster with his basketball skills. That includes D-Wade.
After giving a "shout out" to his former Heat teammate during The Timeout show on his YouTube channel, Wade called him "probably the most talented basketball player that's not in the NBA."
"When you think about how talented he is, you don't understand why he's not in the NBA," Wade said, adding, "Maybe you might understand that he's not a star, but you don't understand why he's not in the league because of the talent that young man has."
The Basketball Hall of Famer also said Beasley has gone through a lot "mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally," but that he's now feeling "comfortable with who he is" and feels less judged.
Wade said Beasley was previously "walking on eggshells" to appease others and get a job, but now he gets to be himself.
"And he a bucket, so shout out to Beas, man," the NBA legend said.
Per ESPN, Beasley has NBA career averages of 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in 609 games played.
The 6-foot-9 forward also participated in 25 playoff games, including three postseason runs with the Miami Heat, and separate runs with the Houston Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks.
He never won an NBA Championship while teammates with Wade in Miami or with any other players during his time in the league.
However, he's since won a championship in the United States playing for the Big3's Miami 305. He and another of Wade's former teammates, Mario Chalmers, helped their team defeat the Chicago Triplets on Sunday.
Beasley scored 25 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished out three assists as part of the team's 52-48 victory. He also earned the Big3 MVP award the past two seasons.
The former Heat star previously won a championship while in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) in 2019 as a member of the Guangdong Southern Tigers. He earned the league's Foreign MVP award in 2016 and was a two-time CBA All-Star.
However, Beasley's more recent Big3 achievements are still fresh and could further demonstrate that he is the best player not currently in the NBA.
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