Hoops Habit
Fansided

Every single NBA team’s Mount Rushmore of stars

By Maxwell Ogden

Apr 2, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) look on in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 2, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) look on in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Miami Heat Mount Rushmore, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James
Dwyane Wade and LeBron James – Miami Heat Mount Rushmore (Photo by Christopher Trotman/Getty Images) /

The Mount Rushmore of the Miami Heat

  • LeBron James
  • Alonzo Mourning
  • Shaquille O’Neal
  • Dwyane Wade

Another player on this list may have more accolades, but any fan of the Miami Heat will tell you without pause that Dwyane Wade is the franchise GOAT. He not only won three championships in Miami, but put forth an all-time great performance to win the Heat their first-ever title.

Wade won Finals MVP, three titles, and made eight All-NBAs. He won a scoring title and ranks No. 1 all-time in points, assists, steals, and games played. In short: Wade is No. 1.

LeBron James comes in second with two championships, two Finals MVP awards, and two regular season MVP trophies with the Heat. That may give him a case for No. 1 in the eyes of those who aren’t Heat fans, but regardless, he’s on the list.

James only played in Miami for four seasons, but he did significant damage during his time as one of the Heatles.

Alonzo Mourning is the next Heat player to make the list as an individual who, for many years, was the heart and soul of the organization. He won two Defensive Player of the Year awards, made two All-NBA appearances, won a ring, and led Miami to the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals.

Doing all of this while battling back from a life-threatening kidney disease made Mourning a fan favorite who will always be held in high regard.

The final spot came down to three players: Chris Bosh, Tim Hardaway, and Shaquille O’Neal. All three had strong cases to make, but it was O’Neal’s arrival in Miami that helped propel the team into the realm of the contenders.

O’Neal was also All-NBA First Team in both 2004-05 and 2005-06, meaning his play on the court was as profound as his influence.

Next: Two of the Top 15