When discussing the greatest shooting guards to ever grace the NBA court, several great names immediately come to mind. Dwyane Wade, however, is someone who is arguably frequently overlooked. Regardless, the Flash is one of the most gifted guards to ever grace the hardwood, leaving a lasting legacy behind in his glorious 16-year career.

Wade starred for the Miami Heat for the majority of his career. He ushered in a winning culture for the franchise, spearheading them to their first NBA championship in only his third year. Years later, the Heat icon added more silverware to his collection. With the aid of his 2003 draft companions; LeBron James, and Chris Bosh, he brought back-to-back titles to Miami.

His 2006 NBA Finals performance is unquestionably one of the best individual performances in Finals history. His team was down 0-2 against the Dallas Mavericks. What happened next, though, cemented Dwyane Wade‘s status as a legitimate NBA legend.

His 42, 36, and 43-point performances rallied his team to a 3-2 lead. Owing to his 36-point outburst in Game 6, the Heat went on to win the NBA championship.

This speaks volumes about how good Dwyane Wade really was. He was a menace on both ends of the court. He had an offensive skillset that placed him among the greatest guards to ever do it. Defensively, he is maybe the greatest shot-blocking guard in NBA history.

All of this begs the question though, who did Wade idolize as a youngster and who did he fashion his game after?

Dwyane Wade admired Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, and Kobe Bryant growing up

Talking on the ‘Point Forward’ podcast, Dwyane Wade touched upon a wide range of topics. One of them was about being an undervalued prospect and growing his profile while in college.

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“Was I the typical athlete growing like body-wise and game-wise? They probably wouldn’t say ‘Hey, he’s gonna be in the NBA,'” Wade said. “But I think as I watch a guy and watch a team and watch players that I just admired so much, that I just wanted to go out there and do everything that they did.” 

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Dwyane Wade then went on to name Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, and Kobe Bryant as the NBA legends he admired and modeled his game after.

“So I’m a big Jordan guy, which everyone knows,” Wade said. “But I was a big Allen Iverson and Kobe guy. Those were my three that I kind of followed and tried to pat my game after, because I thought all of those three different guys’ games was something attainable for me, he concluded.

Just like countless other individuals across the globe, Wade was also inspired by Michael Jordan.

Wade then went on to name Iverson and Bryant as the two other people he modeled his game after. And it showed in his game, as he had a wide range of weapons in his arsenal like the aforementioned greats. He was a nightmare in the open court, an elite finisher, and a slasher who could also create for others.

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Dwyane Wade will undoubtedly be remembered as a pivotal part of NBA history for offering countless memorable moments to the Miami Heat, and NBA fans around the world.