The Miami Heat are set to honor Dwyane Wade with a statue at the Kaseya Center, making him the only player in Heat history to receive this recognition.
Dwyane Wade is one of the greatest shooting guards to play the game of basketball. He has an impressive list of accolades that players dream of, and now he has another one under his belt. The Miami Heat announced their plans to unveil a statue of Wade outside of the Kaseya Center on Oct. 27. This honor makes Wade the only player in Heat history (so far) to receive a statue.
Wade did a lot for the Heat franchise, and in his time with them, he had memorable moments and feats. Here are three memorable moments of Wade’s career.
1.) The 2004 Playoffs
The Heat finished the 2002-03 season with a record of 25-57. This was their second straight year of missing the playoffs after making the playoffs for six consecutive seasons. The Heat were 13th in the Eastern Conference that season, with only the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers trailing them. The Heat were a lottery team and received the fifth pick of the 2003 NBA draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers received the first pick and drafted Wade’s good friend and future teammate LeBron James. Darko Milicic, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh (another future teammate) were selected by the Detroit Pistons, the Denver Nuggets and the Toronto Raptors respectively. The Heat selected Wade with the fifth pick, and as the saying goes, the rest is history.
Wade averaged 16.2 points, 4.5 assists and 1.4 steals in his rookie season, and his play throughout the season helped the Heat reach the playoffs. They finished the season with a record of 42-40 and were fourth in the East. The Heat faced the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans) in the first round of the playoffs, and won the series 4-3. Despite being a rookie, Wade was not afraid of the big stage, and in his first playoff game, he made a game winner. He made a shot over veteran guard Baron Davis, and the Heat won 81–79. After beating the Hornets in the first round, Miami faced the Indiana Pacers, who were the top seed of the East that season. The Heat lost the series 4-2, but Wade solidified himself as one of the league’s stars of the future. Wade averaged 18.0 points, 5.6 assists and four rebounds during the Heat’s playoff run. This was the first but certainly not the last time Wade would be in the playoffs.
2.) His first championship
After reaching the playoffs in his rookie season, the Heat reached the playoffs the following year. They were the top seed of the East this time around, and finished the season with a 59-23 record. The Heat made a big splash in the offseason after their 2003-04 playoff run, as they brought in Shaquille O’Neal. Bringing in O’Neal gave Wade a top veteran player that he could learn from and helped lessen the load Wade had to carry. O’Neal was no stranger to duos with guards, as he played alongside Penny Hardaway and Kobe Bryant. This move helped put the Heat in contention, and in their first season together, Wade and O’Neal led the Heat to the Eastern Conference finals. The Heat lost to the Pistons in that series, but the following year, the Heat reached the NBA Finals.
The Heat faced the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals. The Mavericks took control of the series early on as they won the first two games. The Heat won the next four games with Wade leading the way. Wade had 42 points in Game 3, 36 points in Game 4 and 43 in Game 5. He also had another 36-point game in Game 6 to seal the deal. Wade was on a mission as he not only won his first championship, he gave the Heat their first championship in franchise history. Wade’s performance in the series was legendary and gave him his first of three championships.
3.) Wade returns to Miami
Wade did a lot for the franchise, and after a contract dispute, he left Miami and joined the Chicago Bulls (his hometown team). He spent one season with Chicago, and after reaching a buyout with the Bulls, Wade joined the Cavaliers. At that time, James returned to Cleveland and Wade played alongside his good friend once again. But it was short-lived as the Cavaliers traded Wade to the Heat. Wade received a standing ovation in his first game back with the Heat. While Wade was on the verge of retirement, he had special moments including becoming the third player in history to record at least 20,000 points, 5,000 assists, 4,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals, 800 blocks and 500 three-pointers. Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the other two players.
Wade accomplished a lot in his time with Miami, and now, he will be honored in yet another way. From being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, to his jersey being retired and now a statue, Wade will forever be remembered for his contributions to the game.
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