A well-known member of the NBA community recently gave Dwyane Wade a huge amount of credit for the success that LeBron James has seen. As some fans might be aware, Wade is a Miami Heat legend and was recently inducted into the NBA’s Hall of Fame due to his incredible career.
Many NBA fans will know that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have a very close bond. After all, they were teammates together for several years. Since LeBron’s absence at Wade’s HOF induction ceremony was noticed, Stephen A. was the first to step up and call out King James.
To those who do not know, Stephen A. is a senior member of the sports media and has been covering the league for several decades now. Let us take a look at what he had to say about LeBron and Wade during a recent episode of his podcast.
How did Dwyane Wade help LeBron James become an NBA legend?
Since LeBron James has been around the league for more than two decades now, very few fans will remember the circumstances surrounding his early years in the NBA. LeBron was with the Cleveland Cavaliers and struggled to will the team to contend for a title. They managed to make it to the NBA Finals once in 2007. However, they were crushed by Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.
Considering that James was entering his prime, he likely wanted to begin winning NBA championships to establish his legacy. Therefore, he took his talents to the Miami Heat and paired up with Dwyane Wade. Some fans might remember that Wade was already a champion after the 2006 NBA Finals. Therefore, LeBron going to him was seen as a sign of needing guidance.
They won 2 NBA titles and made the Finals for 4 years in a row. Therefore, there is no denying that this pairing worked. Although it could be debated as to who helped whom more, Stephen A. made his perspective clear that LeBron owed Wade more.
“I’m of the mindset that LeBron James owes his championship pedigree to Dwyane Wade because remember before LeBron James arrived with his talents to South Beach, Dwyane Wade had already been a champion. Dwayne Wade won a title in 2006 when Shaq came over to Miami. When they were going up against Dallas, when Dallas was up 2-0 on them and Dwayne Wade took the h*ll over and averaged over 37 the last 4 games to bounce Dallas outta Heat. I was there for that.”
Since Stephen A. saw it with his own eyes, it is difficult to question what Wade accomplished prior to joining James. Fans should decide for themselves regarding which star owes the other more.