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Dwyane Wade has come a long way from being a Marquette guard to being a 3-time NBA Champion and a 12-time All-Star. His "Last Dance" is underway and he is entirely relishing it along with the Miami Heat, the fans around the world and the NBA.
It wasn't that he couldn't play any more phenom basketball, it wasn't that he couldn't take over the game and hit that game-winner, it wasn't that he couldn't earn Grands while on the court. But this ending was something he chose to make it perfect, with the right organization at the right time.
Wade spent almost couple of years outside Miami, first with the Bulls for 2016-17 season and then the start of last season with Cleveland. Getting traded to the Heat in last February was like a blessing in disguise- the team where he started his amazing career and the team where it all will come to an end after 16 long years.
Wade was nicknamed "The Flash" during his early years in the league for the speed he would burst to the basket and his swiftness and groove on the court. He got the nickname from none other than Shaq who was his teammate then. It struck him during a match against Pistons. Shaq saw Dwyane get past three players and jam the ball to get an And-1.
There are plays that made him the Superhero he is on the court. Let's take a look at some "flashes" at his comic-book career that justify the nickname he was entitled to.
#5 Game winner vs Charlotte in 2004 Playoffs
Game 1 of the first round in 2004 Playoffs, Miami and New Orleans fighting to win the game were tied at 79 each. It's not usual for a rookie to play such final decisive seconds of a high intensity playoff game. In D-Wade's case, coach Steve Van Gundy not only decided to make him play those final seconds but also decided that young Wade will try and score to give Miami the win.
With 11 seconds to the end of regulation time, the rookie received an inbound pass a little beyond the arc. With Baron Davis closing in Wade gave him a crossover and penetrated the Hornets defense and took the shot to win it for the Heat. Fearless and mighty, such was Dwyane Wade in his first ever postseason appearance.
#4 Spin cycle and monster on Kendrick Perkins
Dwyane Wade is one of a kind when it comes to transition plays. The degree of difficulty of the sequence in this insane spin-move and throw-down dunk is a testimony to D-Wade's athleticism and physical prowess.
Wade got the ball and first beat Harden with a quick crossover and started taking it to the lane. Serge Ibaka came to the post to defend him but was left frozen by the furious signature spin move. Kendrick Perkins was the victim to what he shouldn't have faced in the first place.
Dwyane Wade extended high up in the air and threw down a two-handed monster jam. The Heat arena exploded in cheers after Wade's dance and the dunk was named among the top dunks of the year.
Kendrick went on to take a "kind-of-revenge" play the next year when he stuck his boot to Wade's face when he dunked and hung off the rim. But such intensity and humiliation can only be delivered when someone does something "flashy".
#3 Wade's poster on Anderson Varejao
This dunk dates back to 2009 when LeBron James' Cavs was visiting the Heat and is considered as one of the most vicious plays in the NBA history.
Dwyane Wade got the possession of the ball after LeBron failed to dunk over Jermaine O'Neal. He went coast-to-coast to hammer down a ruthless dunk over Anderson Varejao. Varejao was caught mid-air and his body came slamming on to the floor. Wade didn't stop there and did an impersonation of Iverson stepping over Lue.
Upset about the dunk, Varejao exchanged some words with Wade and both were given a technical. The Cavaliers won the match 111-104 but the damage that Wade did that day will remain with them throughout the history of the game.
This dunk from "Vintage Flash" is favorite of the Wade county. One of his fans asked him on Twitter about how he felt when he threw down the jam to which the now 36-year-old gave a savage reply, saying he knew Varejao was going to cry in his car after the game.
#2 Buzzer beater for the win against Bulls in 2OT
This game played on 9 March 2009 is one of the most eventful matches in the NBA history. Dwyane Wade was the 3rd player in the MVP rankings back then, behind Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. James eventually went to win the league MVP that year.
D-Wade delivered one of the most extraordinary performances of his career during the course of this match. With 6 seconds left in the 2OT, the game was tied at 127-127, Bulls had the possession of the ball. John Salmons tried to drive in from the center. D-Wade with his lightning-fast speed came from the 45-degree key and snatched the ball from Salmons. He had only 3 seconds left on the game clock when he started driving towards the Bulls basket.
Wade took a layup 2-step beyond the arc and shot the ball for a 3-point play. The ball went in the basket and the entire American Airlines Arena erupted in cheers. Wade rushed to the announcement table in excitement. Standing tall he shouted to the crowd "THIS IS MY HOUSE" which indeed is and will be for the coming ages. Dwyane Wade posted flashy stats in this historic game: 48 points, 6 rebounds, 12 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks.
#1 Dwanye Wade leading the comeback in Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Finals
NBA Finals 2006 saw one of the greatest performances in the history of the league. Dwyane Wade averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game, and shot 47% from the field in his scintillating finals series against the Mavs. It is no surprise as to who won the Finals MVP.
Game 3 tipped off with Mavs leading the series 2-0. Trailing by 9 points in the beginning of the final quarter, Wade lead the Heat to outscore Mavs 30-19 and won it 98-96.
Dallas went on a 12-5 run to take 89-76 lead with just 6:34 left on the clock. Wade went on a 5-0 run after that and his two more buckets cut the lead to three points with 3:36 remaining. In the closing minutes, Wade added another free throw and the Heat closed the game on a 10-3 run. Wade stole a pass from Nowitzki in the final second to seal the game.
One of the many heroic efforts that Dwyane Wade has delivered, this remains a favorite where "the Flash" cemented his legacy and won himself and the Heat their fist ever NBA Championship.
