Williams declared for the NBA Draft after the 2005 season, forgoing his final year of collegiate eligibility. In the 2005 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz drafted him with the No. 3 overall pick. Since then, Williams has led the Jazz to two playoff appearances, including one to the Western Conference Finals in 2006-07.
1. Dwyane Wade (MIA)
Selected fifth overall in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat, Wade quickly emerged as a solid player on a relatively young Miami Heat team and averaged 16.2 points on 46.5 percent shooting to go along with averages of 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists each game in his rookie season.
In his first trip to the NBA Finals, in which Miami faced the Dallas Mavericks, Wade had some especially memorable moments. His performance in Games Three, Four, and Five, in which he scored 42, 36, and 43 points, respectively, helped bring the Heat back from an 0–2 deficit to lead the series at three games to two.
Wade's Game Three performance was especially memorable as he finished with 42 points (tying his career playoff high) and 13 rebounds (career high). Fifteen of his 42 points came in the fourth quarter, a quarter in which the Heat erased a 13-point deficit over the final 6:34.
With a 22–7 run which included a go-ahead jumper by NBA veteran Gary Payton, the win was sealed. The Heat went on to win Game Six, taking the series 4–2, and Wade was presented with the Finals MVP trophy.
He became the fifth youngest player in NBA history to capture NBA Finals MVP honors and recorded the third highest scoring average by a player in his first NBA Finals with 34.7 points per game. Wade’s PER (player efficiency rating) in the 2006 NBA finals was ranked by ESPN's John Hollinger as the greatest performance in NBA Finals history.
Not only is Wade a superstar, but he has also shown his greatness through his quality sportsmanship. Wade was named the 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated.
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