Tamera Cook
Sports Writer
This season concludes the end of an era to many fans in South Beach.
In 2003, the Miami Heat selected Dwayne Wade; a guard from Marquette, by way of Robbins, Ill., fifth overall in the NBA draft.
Coming into the draft which included names like Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh, he was overlooked.
The Miami Heat select a 6-foot 4 guard when they were already solid at the guard spot.
He was not a household name like his cohorts, nor did he seem like the type of player that could turn a franchise around. But soon all of this would change.
In his rookie season, Wade would too become a household name and was determined to leave his mark on the game.
Many now consider him the third best shooting guard of all time and he is recognized as the greatest player to put on a Miami Heat uniform, but not just in terms of talent.
Wade, three-time NBA all-star, 2006 NBA finals MVP, 2009 NBA scoring champion, is the only player in NBA history to record at least two thousand points, 500 assist, 100 steals, and 100 blocks in a single season.
Not only are his contributions on the court astonishing, but it is his work outside of basketball that furthers the discussion of him being one of the greats.
Wade contributes a great amount of time and effort into the community he grew up in as well as the community in Miami where he lives.
From helping underprivileged families, to victims of mass shootings, he has proven to fans that his purpose is truly bigger than basketball.
Bigger than basketball, a phrase used to coin the idea that his reach extends beyond the basketball court.
Dade county in Miami, Fla., has adopted the nickname Wade county because of Wade’s greatness to the community. He has embraced the name Wade county and rightfully so.
Wade has always been a fearless competitor who sacrificed his body for the sake of his team.
His unselfish play, speed, and ability to penetrate the lane and score at will earned him the nickname Flash and was the main attraction in South Beach and the reason why many superstars migrated to the area.
Prior to the start of his second season, the Miami Heat acquired a superstar center by the name of Shaquille O’Neal. This was the beginning of what would shape Wade’s career.
Wade and O’Neal would go on to win the NBA championship in 2006 with the help of Wade’s relentless, unyielding will to win.
Wade, though overlooked at first because of the prospected talent in the 2003 draft, had now made a name for himself.
In 2012 and 2013, after joining forces with Lebron James and Chris Bosh to form the big three, the trio won two more NBA championships for the organization.
After departing from Miami and returning almost two years later, Wade illuminated the city once more.
While many at this point of his career considered him washed up, he was still able to show flashes of his greatness during last year’s pushed to get in the playoffs and even during the playoffs while competing against much younger talent.
Wade, the youngest player in NBA history to average 30 points in an NBA finals series en route to an NBA Championship, played his final home game at American Airlines Arena.
Ironically, in his final home game, Wade scored 30 points, shooting 40 percent from the three-point line and having fun while doing it.
In his last dance at home against the Philadelphia 76ers, Wade county showed up in a big way to acknowledge and show their appreciation to the man who humbly waited his turn, and showed us that it is not how you start but how you finish.
As Wade played the last game of his career against the Brooklyn Nets, he closed the history book after securing a triple double.
Wade scored 25 points, got 11 rebounds, and 10 assists to finish his legendary career in a memorable fashion.
Be First to Comment