Dwyane Wade was one of the best players in NBA history. He may not be put in the same tier as Michael Jordan or LeBron James , but his contribution to the game of basketball is unquestionable.
The Flash played a pivotal role in all three championships in Miami Heat history, leading the team to its first ever success in his third year before winning two more rings next to The King.
Wade was recently introduced into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and his take on the GOAT debate went viral again. In 2021, the former guard revealed his position in this conversation.
Wade explained why MJ, not LeBron, is his GOAT
“I come from a Jordan era. I am biased and I’m going to be biased until the day I pass away. Michael Jordan will be my GOAT,” Wade said on the I Am Athlete podcast, via NBC Sports Chicago. “I’m not taking anything away from LeBron. LeBron is amazing. But Michael Jordan is my GOAT.
“He (LeBron) will be the GOAT for a lot of generations. I started playing the game because of Michael Jordan. He will be my GOAT until the day I pass away… For me, from Chicago, where I grew up, I made it out the hood because I seen a dude, No. 23, play the game of basketball at a level that I was like, ‘I just want to do some of that.'”
A Chicago native, Wade made it clear that for obvious reasons MJ will always be at the top. But just like he grew up watching Jordan, he knows that LeBron will be the GOAT for millions who looked up to him this century.
“To me, it doesn’t take anything away from LeBron. LeBron will be the GOAT of this generation that watched him grow up, just like we watched Michael Jordan grow,“ Wade added. “Bron’s my guy. But Jordan’s my GOAT.
“… LeBron is one of my good friends. I have so much respect for what he’s doing now, what he’s done and what he will eventually do, because he’s not done yet. It will definitely be an argument that will need to be had. If LeBron James ends up the No. 1 scorer of all-time, top five in assists and top five in rebounds — and have four, five or six championships — you can not do nothing but have the conversation of who is the greatest of all time.”
LeBron has already broken Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record, which puts him in a stronger position in this debate. But like Wade said back in the day, everyone will have their own GOAT.