Hoops Habit
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Who are the greatest NBA players to not win each major award?

By Rahul Raja

Dwyane Wade (L) of the Miami Heat is defended by Shawn Marion (R) of the Dallas Mavericks during Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 7, 2011 at the AmericanAirlines Center in Dallas, Texas. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
Dwyane Wade (L) of the Miami Heat is defended by Shawn Marion (R) of the Dallas Mavericks during Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 7, 2011 at the AmericanAirlines Center in Dallas, Texas. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) /

Win an NBA MVP: Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade is a Miami Heat legend. Drafted by a 25-win team, he led them to 42 wins and their first semi-finals appearance since the 1999-00 season in his rookie year. In his third year, he was paired up with Shaquille O’Neal and carried the Heat to a championship against the Dallas Mavericks. Despite having a strong squad filled with veterans like Jason Williams, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, and Antoine Walker, he was the main star and averaged an incredible 34 points in the finals.

After winning this championship, the Heat floundered for a while during his prime. This resulted in a string of missed playoffs and first-round losses to the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics. The heat didn’t finish higher than the fourth seed during these years. Their doldrums ended with the arrival of Lebron James and Chris Bosh in 2011. This core, dubbed “The Heatles” were one of the NBA’s most iconic super teams and went on to win two championships in four finals runs.

He didn’t win MVP because his prime coincided with the Heat’s down years and, when they were winning, it was on a stacked team. Honorable mentions to Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Isiah Thomas.

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