1. 2006 NBA Finals: The First Ring
Leading up to the 2006 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat were led by unstoppable center Shaquille O’Neal. During the 2006 NBA Finals, however, O’Neal was taken out of the proverbial picture, averaging just 13.7 points on 29.2 percent shooting from the free throw line.
Rather than accepting defeat as an inevitability, a 24-year-old Dwyane Wade put forth one of the greatest NBA Finals performances of all-time.
It wasn’t just one game here or there for Wade; he was brilliant throughout the series. He scored 23 and 28 points during Games 1 and 2, respectively, but Miami quickly fell into an 0-2 hole against the heavily favored Dallas Mavericks.
Wade’s response: posting 42 points and 13 rebounds on 14-of-26 shooting en route to a vital Game 3 victory.
What followed was a 36-point outing in a Game 4 win, a 43-point eruption in a Game 5 victory, and a dominant close-out performance in Game 6. During the decisive contest, Wade posted 36 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals, and three blocks on 10-of-18 shooting.
At 24 years of age, with O’Neal struggling to provide offense, Wade led the Heat to the first championship in franchise history—a feat he achieved by averaging 34.7 points per game.
Though it may sting that he’s leaving, Heat fans can forever cherish what is and was one of the greatest individual performances in NBA Finals history.
From an objective NBA fan to a genuine legend: thank you for the incredible memories in Miami, Dwyane Wade. They will never be forgotten.