Wade’s star shines
There was a time when Dwyane Wade could not be stopped, when defenses bent precisely to contain him wound up being veritable instruments to his greatness. Just ask the Mavericks, who, in 1996, finished first in the regular season, breezed through to the Finals, took a two-games-to-none lead, and then finished bridesmaids. It wasn’t because Heat head coach Pat Riley suddenly found a complex solution off a Eureka moment. On the contrary, it was because of a keen understanding that the only one that could, and would, work involved handing the entire offense to the All-Star guard.
The result was a Heat sweep from Game Three of the Finals onwards, with Wade utterly dominating the proceedings. Consider his stats for the series while being the singular focus of the Mavericks’ coverage: 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. He was particularly outstanding in the last four games, going for 42/13/2, 36/6/3, 43/4/4, and 36/10/5 splits via ridiculously high usage rates. It was as if Riley handed him the ball and simply told him to do with it as he pleased. And the oversimplification aside, there can be no haggling with the result.
Wade would become even better, much better, in the next half decade, but the relative lack of support told on the Heat’s competitiveness. Only when he managed to convince fellow marquee names from the 2003 draft class to join him did he again experience ultimate success in the sport’s grandest stage. Not coincidentally, it had him handing the reins to LeBron James and agreeing to a salary even lower than that of Chris Bosh. Needless to say, only he could have made the sacrifice, confident as he was in his worth and intent on cementing his status as an all-time great through the attainment of collective objectives.
Wade would go on to claim two more rings in four straight Finals appearances, with James’ departure in 2014 signifying the downside of his career. Meanwhile, his best buddy would continue to shine in his waning years. Which, in a nutshell, was why their last meeting on a court the other day ended predictably: a loss for the Heat. He wanted to play well under the klieg lights of Staples Center, where stars of stars gathered in recognition of his body of work. Instead, he had a woeful first half and, despite a more inspired showing after the break, he failed to produce the win he wanted.
Under the circumstances, Wade deserved to take the last shot. With the Miami Heat three behind and the clock ticking to zero, he had to fire from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, James was on his grill, and the tight guarding led to a prayer of an attempt. If nothing else, it proved that his playing days were on its last legs. Still, he has nothing to hang his head for. His 16 years of toiling in the National Basketball Association have made him a surefire Hall of Famer. No wonder he drew ovations from an otherwise hostile fan base; they recognized his place in the pantheon of performers. And, for one last night, despite the loss, the desperation heave, and the presence of his more accomplished peer, he found his light shining brightest.
Wade deserved to take the last shot. With the Miami Heat three behind and the clock ticking to zero, he had to fire from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, James was on his grill, and the tight guarding led to a prayer of an attempt. If nothing else, it proved that his playing days were on its last legs. Still, he has nothing to hang his head for. His 16 years of toiling in the National Basketball Association have made him a surefire Hall of Famer. No wonder he drew ovations from an otherwise hostile fan base; they recognized his place in the pantheon of performers.