untung99.biz: Ranking Dwyane Wades top 5 Miami Heat teammates

To celebrate Dwyane Wade’s enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, this week at All U Can Heat is “Dwyane Wade Week.” Each day, we will celebrate his career, rank his greatest performances and break down the biggest moments.

Esteemed icon and former Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade has always recognized that winning championships took more than individual ability and power — it was about tenacity and great teamwork. As such, the players around Wade were one of the keys to his success in the NBA.

Wade quickly established himself as one of the league’s premier players after being selected by the Heat with the fifth pick of the 2003 draft, and the franchise quickly went to work to build great teams around him.

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Dwyane Wade’s career accomplishments

• 13-time All-Star
• Eight All-NBA team selections
• Three-time member of the All-Defensive Team
• Two-time Olympian for Team USA (Bronze in 2004, Gold in 2008 as the team’s leading scorer)
• Three championships (2006, 2012, 2013)

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In honor of Wade’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, we break down his top five Heat and how they contributed to his accomplishments.

1. Udonis Haslem (2003-2023)

Wade is quick to call Udonis Haslem his favorite teammate of all time. This makes total sense as Haslem has always been the heart and soul of the Heat, and a mentor to so many. He and Wade developed an unbreakable bond both on and off the court after playing over 800 games together over 16 years. In an appearance on the “I Am Athlete” podcast, Wade discussed his relationship with Haslem, who he entered the league with in 2003.

“We started building a brotherhood. So obviously we got closer, and we won championships together you know I mean we did all that but like off the court I ain’t never had to worry about nothing in Miami because it’s like “Yo UD got me.”

Over the past 20 years, Haslem and Wade have become one of the NBA’s most well-known duos. Haslem brought leadership, toughness and IQ to the game and proved to be an incredibly important part of the franchise and of Wade’s career.

Haslem gets points for longevity. Next to Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant, he is one of only three players to play 20 years for a single franchise. Together, Wade and Haslem are the only players to have won three championships with the Heat.

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2. LeBron James (2010-2014)

LeBron James came to the Heat as part of the Big Three with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Just like Shaq and Wade, James and Wade, through their collaborative efforts, were instrumental in reshaping the NBA landscape. They not only formed one of the most captivating teams in the history of the league but have also showcased the significant impact that NBA players can have.

Despite playing just four years together in Miami (and a less memorable year in Cleveland), James and Wade stand out as one of the most extraordinary duos that the league has seen.

Their exceptional physical abilities, defensive skills, and tactical acumen not only led them to back-to-back championships, but also solidified their status as iconic figures in NBA history. With the Heat, LeBron, with Wade by his side, won two championships and was MVP in both years.

In four years in Miami, James averaged 26.9 points, 6.7 assists, and 7.6 rebounds. Although Wade’s knees began to worsen near the end of James’s tenure, leading him to sign with the Cavs in 2014, Wade averaged 22.2 points, 4.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds over their four-year run.

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3. Shaquille O’Neal (2004-2008)

After winning three championships with the Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal’s tumultuous relationship with teammate Kobe Bryant led him to request to be traded in 2014, ultimately resulting in becoming teammates with rising second-year star Dwyane Wade.

Wade and O’Neal catapulted the middling Heat to an NBA championship within just two years, beating the Dallas Mavericks in 2006. O’Neal averaged 19.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, ranked fifth in blocks, and ninth in total rebounds when he played alongside Wade.

While Shaq and Wade played together for just four years, Flash and The Diesel proved to be one of the most lethal duos in the NBA and played a pivotal role in transforming the Heat into a championship-caliber franchise.

Friction with former head coach Pat Riley led O’Neal to be traded to the Phoenix Suns before the 2007 trade deadline, but the two sides have since worked out their relationship, resulting in Shaq’s jersey being retired by the franchise.

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4. Chris Bosh (2010–2016)

The third member of the Big Three, Chris Bosh may have required more time to adapt to the team compared to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but he eventually proved himself to be an indispensable asset to the group.

Bosh consistently demonstrated his willingness to fulfill the team’s less glamorous responsibilities, and evolved in Miami from the low-post scorer he was in Toronto into one of the league’s most versatile big men.

Bosh possessed a remarkable defensive prowess, effectively spread the floor, and excelled in his role as the league’s finest complementary player.

Although Bosh did not replicate the flashy statistics he achieved during his tenure with the Raptors while playing alongside Wade, he did win consecutive NBA championships. Bosh shared the court with Wade for six seasons until he had to sadly retire due to blood clots in his lungs.

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5. Ray Allen (2012–2014)

Before joining the Heat in the summer of 2012, Wade and Ray Allen had been shooting guard rivals for many years, and faced each other for years when Allen was part of a championship-winning trio in Boston alongside Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Then Allen surprisingly signed with the Heat, disbanding Boston’s Big Three and adding to Miami’s star-studded roster. Allen, in his 17th season, proved to be one of the league’s most reliable role players and was an ideal complement to Wade and James.

It all culminated with his clutch 3-pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals against the Spurs. Renowned for his exceptional shooting skills, patience, and composure in high-pressure situations, Allen saved the Heat from elimination and later helped them win their second-straight championship with a Game 7 win.

During the two seasons Allen played in Miami, he contributed 10.3 points per game and shot an impressive 39.8% from beyond the arc. Although Allen retired after the 2013-14 season, his contributions will forever be etched in the archives of Heat history.

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