Dwyane Wade: Could Miami Heat Star's Legacy Be as Great as Kobe Bryant's?

If both Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant were to retire today, it would be a different story.

Bryant would immediately take his place among the immortals.

Wade, more likely remembered as a great player in his own right and to date, the Miami Heat's best ever. Alonzo Mourning is the only other figure worth considering.

It's possible that by the time Wade draws curtains on his career that he may have significantly closed the gap.

As it stands, Bryant has five championship rings, and fronts a franchise reeling from a premature playoffs exit.

If the Miami Heat can null the influence of Derrick Rose, Wade could well have two rings of his own come June.

The scary part for the rest of the league is that this Miami team is only going to get better. The current setup is just 92 games old. Imagine the cohesion after 192, and so on.

If Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James were to embark on a dynasty of their own, it's not unfathomable to think Wade could end up with as much finger-bling as Bryant.

Wade will certainly have help, but Kobe did too.

Bryant was Finals MVP the past two seasons, but his first three-peat with the Lakers, the shooting guard played second fiddle to the league's most powerful big man, Shaquille O'Neal.

Ironically it was O'Neal who guided Wade and Miami to their first championship success in 2006, but it was Wade who pocketed the Finals MVP and star billing.

LeBron James is certainly not in South Beach to play Robin to Wade's Batman, but James' personal struggles at the Cavaliers hammers home the point that you can't win championships on your own.

The hierarchy at the Heat appears dependent on the night's match ups and who has the hot hand. Should the Heat go on to win it all in June, Wade and James are equally likely to pocket the Finals MVP.

It's crazy to think Wade could have as many as Bryant just a month from now.

As far as personal accolades go, Wade has some serious catch up to do.

But it's possible.

Bryant won his sole Maurice Podoloff Trophy in his 12th season in the league. This is just Wade's eighth. If Miami makes a habit of breezing through the regular season, his name will continue to be in contention.

As far as All-Star and All-NBA representation are concerned, Wade is never likely to trouble Bryant. In fact, it has been Bryant himself who has kept Wade off a number of All-NBA First Teams.

Both players have also been scoring champions on poor teams: Wade for the 2008-09 Heat and Bryant the 2005-06 and 2006-07 Lakers.

Both players have an insanely good pump-fake.

Both players look likely to retire as one-franchise players.

And both players play excellent defense.

Kobe has been named to the All-Defensive First Team a staggering nine times, while Wade might just be the best shot-blocking guard in the history of the NBA.

Their career numbers are almost identical too. Wade has averaged 25.4 points a contest on 49 percent shooting through 547 games. Bryant 25.3 points, 45 percent shooting through 1103.

Neither are particularly impressive from beyond the arc. Kobe is a career 34 percent from the perimeter while Wade sits at 29 percent, significantly low for a two-guard.

Wade's 6.3 dimes covers Kobe's 4.7, while Bryant has out-rebounded the Heat star 5.3 to 5.1 through their careers.

Wade turns the ball over at a slightly higher rate, but blocks twice as many shots a night and heads Kobe in the steals department. Both are particularly good at staying out of foul trouble.

Of course if the Lakers manage to secure a trade sending Chris Paul or Dwight Howard to Staples Center, Bryant could well put further distance between himself and Wade.

But right now, Paul is in New Orleans and Howard is in Orlando.

No doubt time will answer these questions for us.

Five years from now, Dwyane Wade's career might just be talked about in the same light as Kobe Bryant's.