During a recent appearance on NBA player Carmelo Anthony’s podcast “7 PM In Brooklyn,” Dwyane Wade shared insights into his professional basketball career and his aspirations during the mid-2000s. The former Miami Heat star revealed his belief that he was on a trajectory to surpass Michael Jordan as the greatest of all time before injuries hindered his progress.
Wade elaborated on the podcast, saying, “No one has ever really — they don’t understand my game. You don’t know what I did. I did so many different things and I played so many different roles. That’s one of the reasons why I don’t get — I’m not the greatest shooter of all time.
I’m not the greatest at this — but I was great at so many different things. Then I learned how to be great at being a role player. I learned how to be great at all these things, and no one knows how to really break down my game. So, they look over and they just go to one or two things, but I did so many things in the game of basketball.”
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Reflecting on his early years in the league, Wade expressed his confidence in surpassing Jordan before injuries took their toll. “When I had it, I had it. I thought I was going to be — Before injuries, I’m like, ‘MJ, I’m coming for you.’ That’s my mentality. I thought I was coming for MJ. I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to be the greatest.’ Because I figured it out very early in the league, and in my second year, I knew.”
Wade’s career was significantly impacted by injuries, particularly during the 2007 and 2008 seasons when he was sidelined due to a dislocated left shoulder and a torn labrum, which required surgeries on both his shoulder and knee. Despite these setbacks, Wade made a remarkable comeback, achieving career-high performances in the 2009 season. He later teamed up with LeBron James, leading the Miami Heat to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances and securing back-to-back titles in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
Dwyane Wade’s reflections highlight the resilience and versatility that defined his career, underscoring his belief that he could have been one of the greatest if not for the injuries that altered his path.
