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Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history for 75th anniversary

By Josh Cornelissen

Kobe Bryant (Photo credit should read Vince Bucci/AFP via Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant (Photo credit should read Vince Bucci/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat. Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images /

Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history: No. 22 – Dwyane Wade

On NBA 50 at 50 List

Career: 2003 – 2019

Achievements: Three-time champion; All-NBA (8x); All-Star (13x); All-Defense (3x); Finals MVP; Scoring leader (1x)

Michael Jordan is the best 2-guard in NBA history, and on this list, Jerry West is the clear #2. Dwyane Wade slots in as not only the third-best shooting guard in NBA history but the only possible choice to fill out the Top 3. He was an elite scorer during his prime, flashing to the rim and making defenders’ heads spin in circles keeping up with his handle.

Wade is an interesting foil to his fellow class of 2003 draftee Carmelo Anthony. Both were prolific scorers, but Melo is the one who has climbed into the Top 10 on the all-time points leaderboard. Wade sits at just 35th, but he has three titles, two as LeBron’s wingman (a luxury Melo was not afforded until this season) but one as the lead perimeter scorer. Melo can’t bring anything to the table like Wade’s 2006 Finals run.

Wade also does deserve credit for reinventing himself as a supporting star alongside James, committing to off-ball cutting and movement to help the offense work. Not every star can make that adjustment, but Wade did so and added four Finals appearances and two titles to his ledger.