The Sixth Sense: Why Dwyane Wade Is Special
Mark Twain once said, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight" that matters but rather "the size of the fight in the dog."
At 6'4" (perhaps really 6'3"), it would have been difficult to label Dwyane Wade as a future NBA superstar. Many felt he would slide into the early teens of the 2003 Draft. He didn't have a great jump shot. He wasn't tall enough to be a shooting guard.
Fast forward seven years, and Wade is one of the premier players in the league. He is arguably the best, and certainly in the top three, along with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
During his career, Wade has lifted the Miami Heat franchise to unprecedented success. He has made six All-Star appearances and led the team to two Eastern Conference Finals and an NBA Championship in 2006.
Many thought the championship was Wade's ascension to superstar status, but that had actually begun to occur two years earlier.
As a rookie in Game 1 of the playoffs versus the Charlotte Hornets, Wade staked his claim as a bonafide talent. With the game on the line and the Heat trailing by one, coach Stan Van Gundy drew up a play to allow Wade to take the potential last shot.
It's not every day that a rookie has his name called in such a decisive moment. The fact that he was being guarded by then All-Star Baron Davis made it an even less likely choice.
Still, Van Gundy said he had no doubt in whose hands he wanted the ball: "We had the confidence to put the ball in the hands of a rookie. That speaks to how much we, as a coaching staff and his teammates, thought of him. There was no one rolling their eyes, they all knew it was going there and they all wanted it going there."
One has to wonder if it had been Pat Riley coaching, whether Eddie Jones or Lamar Odom would have taken the shot.
From that moment on, Wade started to catch everyone's eyes, including those of Shaquille O'Neal. For the next two seasons, Wade and O'Neal led the Heat to new heights. Still, it was Wade who hoisted this team upon his back and refused to let them lose to a Dallas Mavericks team that had won Games 1 and 2 of the Finals in dominant fashion.
The four games that followed proved why Wade is special. He simply would not be denied. Between clutch shots and constant drives to the basket, Wade took his game to another level.
There have been many talented NBA players throughout the league's history but not all of them have that something extra. The gift that makes players such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant different from the Charles Barkleys and Tracy McGradys. It's sheer will and determination, combined with the coldness of an assassin, a splash of talent, and an ultimate sense of confidence.
Wade has that. He has it. It's a distinct je ne sais quoi. Some people call it being clutch, others call it being a winner. Whatever word you go with, there is no doubt that Wade has proven he is the man to go to at crunch time.
There is something else that merits mentioning when analyzing Wade's game, that of course being his heart. I know it's an often heard cliche that "you have to play with heart." Cheesy as it may sound, that is Wade's greatest gift.
Wade is fearless and his ability to produce is a direct result of his tenacity. He has a great deal of talent, but it is overshadowed by his competitiveness and passion.
He's not a LeBron James. He doesn't have the incredible God-given gift of being born an athletic specimen. Everything Wade ever has or will accomplish is mainly predicated on that internal belief that he will not be denied.
While his heart and spirit have made him one of the best, the critics and doubters are what fuel his fire. Wade proved them wrong when he all but single-handedly dismantled Dallas in the Finals. He then proved them wrong when he came back from knee surgery to compete for an NBA MVP in 2008-2009.
Now he will aim to prove them wrong again and dismiss the notion that he can't coexist with another megastar, that he can't dominate without controlling the ball every possession.
LeBron James may be the most talented, famous, and physically gifted member of this Heat team, but it is Wade's heart and unrelenting will to win that can truly make this new Miami team special for years to come.
