IN A FLASH.
Even though Wade had already started his jersey swap early this season, it still hadn’t sunk in that this might be the last time we’ll see Dwyane Wade play in the NBA. The Flash’s “One Last Dance” was a thing to see. As the 2019 NBA regular season went on, I could see flashes of the old D-Wade every now and then. Still dunking over people with surprisingly a quick first step for his age along with the Veteran experience, Wade easily still had a year or two left in him.
It was the last home game of the 2019 NBA regular season when Wade made it official that this will be his last season in the NBA and will officially retire after this. A 13 time NBA All-Star, Wade is Miami’s all-time leader in points, assists, games played, steals and shots made and taken. Wade gave his heart and soul to Miami bringing them their first championship in 2006 alongside Shaquille O’ Neal defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. A young Wade then was an absolute beast. You could be sure he’d probably posterize someone or the other every time he stepped onto the court. One of the most memorable dunks for me would be D-Wade dunking over Anderson Varejao and then stepping over him while Varejao was on the floor. It blew my mind when I saw that and had to replay it again and again. Apart from the high-flying, Wade was a pretty decent shooter but his footwork and post-moves gave him an edge over anyone. Wade, even though was a Shooting Guard but he played like a big man. Wade has averaged about 2 blocks per game for his entire career and is the only player 6-foot-4 or under to record 700 blocks. A big-time acrobat who left defenders scratching their heads on how to stop him, Wade was a nightmare for the opposing team any given night.
Eventually, Wade went onto form a Big Three in Miami with LeBron James and Chris Bosh. They had a great start making it all the way to the NBA finals but could not overcome the Dallas Mavericks and Prime Dirk Nowitzki. But that was just the start to a dominating couple of seasons in the NBA. The Miami Heat went back to the finals 4 straight times winning 2 back to back titles as well. Wade and LeBron made a deadly duo, both with an attacking mindset just running over defenders and Bosh spreading the floor with his sharpshooting from beyond the arc seemed like a perfect fit. Although it felt as if LeBron took the leadership role from Wade which in turn took a toll on him and his relationship with the Heat organization when LeBron left the Heat to go back to Cleveland. This led to differences between Wade and Pat Riley which in turn led to Wade leaving Miami. Spending the first 13 of his 16 years long illustrious career with the Miami Heat, it was awfully heartbreaking to see The Flash leave the place where he not just started his career but shed blood, sweat and tears. And what was more heartbreaking was the fact that Pat Riley focused more on Hassan Whiteside, viewing him as the future for the franchise instead of focusing on Wade who gave it his all to the organization.
● Side-Note: This wasn’t probably the first altercation I had seen between a player and an organization. It was Toronto backstabbing DeMar DeRozan and trading him to the Spurs which led me to believe that organizations will only look after themselves and their future and not the players who gave their all to the organization. This also led me to believe that players aren’t wrong in looking after themselves and their family when they choose to sign with another team who’s willing to pay them more. I can still see player loyalty in some but absolutely none in a majority of the teams in the NBA. With only a small window to make the most money that they can with their NBA career to sustain themselves and their families for the rest of their lives, I don’t think any player is wrong and it would be a no-brainer for almost anyone to follow the money or anything for that matter as he sees fit.
The Flash went onto join the Chicago Bulls in 2016 and spent a year mostly coming off the bench. The next season he moved onto the Cleveland Cavaliers pairing with LeBron James once again. However, things didn’t work out in Cleveland and Wade requested a mid-season trade back to Miami. It was a sight for sore eyes to see Dwyane Wade coming back to where it all began, ‘Wade County’. Although Wade wasn’t away from Miami for too long, it still was nostalgic to see The Flash doing his thing back home in front of his Miami family. Wade finished the rest of the season with Miami and as it goes down in history announced 2018-19 season as his last.
It has been one hell of a ride for Wade and his family but if you ask me, he’ll definitely go down as one of the best shooting guards to ever play the game (Top 10 SG’s of all-time). A 3 time NBA champion, 13 time All-Star, 2 NBA First Team, 3 NBA All Defensive Second Team, NBA scoring champion and numerous more accolades to his name. How I wish Wade never left the Heat, all this would’ve been a lot more amazing than it was. I don’t know why but this seems worse than seeing Jordan in a Wizards jersey. Regardless Wade did it all on the floor, leaving no stone unturned and absolutely nothing can take away the legacy he has left us with. In the end, I just want to thank Wade for all the memories and highlights both on and off the court, Thank You, Dwyane Wade.