Member of the famous 2003 NBA Draft class, Dwyane Wade was one of the best to lace them up in the last two decades and is deservedly recognized as such. But besides his talent, his career was also defined by an unbreakable bond with the Miami Heat.
The Flash has spent most of his professional career in South Florida, where he played a pivotal role in all three championships the franchise has won in its entire history. And he was part of the unforgettable Big Three alongside LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
Also dubbed as "Heatles," Miami were the toughest team to face by then and it has made four straight trips to the NBA finals. Although that's considered to be the best era for the Heat, Wade suggested it's not the best memory of his career.
Dwyane Wade gets honest on NBA title runs with LeBron James in Heatles era
Miami Heat were the team to beat at the beginning of last decade after Pat Riley set up the most powerful side in the league. While many basketball fans may remember those times with great pleasure, for Wade it brings back memories of lots of hard work.
"I also could look at those championship years, and I can look at the journey and say, 'That **** wasn't fun,'" Wade told Insider's Scott Davis. "It's not fun trying to accomplish something so great that everybody's trying to stop you from having it. That's not fun. So as much as a lot of moments were so fun, it was a lot of moments that was work, and it was a job, and it was tough mentally and physically."
What Wade says actually makes a lot of sense. Belonging to a title-contending team could be exciting but very demanding as well, and it's hard to deal with all that pressure for so many years.
But it's not like he didn't have fun at all in those years or throughout his career, of course. "I had fun when I had legs," he joked, recalling his first seasons in the league. Because way before success came his way, he already shone for the Heat.
