Dwyane Wade's Top 24 Career-Defining Moments with the Miami Heat

For your edu-tainment today, we have a comprehensive list of Dwyane Wade's 24 most career-defining moments since being drafted by Miami in 2003.

This is not a highlight reel, let me just get that out of the way. Innumerable single-play highlights can be seen by visiting YouTube and typing the letters "dwy." That said, this list is not without a few big plays, but only those that proved to be defining moments in Wade's path in the NBA.

Along with those, the buffet shall include Wade's laundry list of regular season as well as playoff accolades, some career firsts, with a dash of incredible statistical performances to add some spice.

Finally, not every moment on this list is going to be a positive one; sometimes, the low points can help define who you are and where you go from there. 

Also worth noting: Most of Wade's earlier milestones are loosely arranged in chronological order, but the closer we get to the top, the more we'll be talking about moments that absolutely define who and what Dwyane Wade is as a player. So the chronology will break off at some point.

Tip of the hat to www.dwyanewadeuniverse.com for the box score data.

24. Slipping to Fifth Overall in 2003

First off, it wouldn't be a career without being drafted, right? Don't worry, it gets a tad more insightful from here on in.

The fact that Wade fell to fifth in the draft is what made his storied career in Miami possible. If Joe Dumars had shown a little better judgment in that draft, Darko Milicic would never have gone so early, and Wade would never have been around by the time Miami's turn came up.

As such, Wade could just as easily been a Nugget or a Raptor, which would have drastically altered his career path, and very likely made a large part of this list impossible.

So on top of merely getting drafted—which for the purposes of this list is both a key moment and a largely moot one to include—the relatively remote likelihood that Wade would even land in Miami is what makes this a career-defining moment.

23. First Big Game

After being up and down performance-wise in his first two months of pro ball, Wade broke out for 32 points, six rebounds and eight assists in a win against the Hawks on December 16, 2003.

It was his highest scoring game to date, and by far his most effective in the big five stat columns, not to mention that it came with a W. A few more boards and you're flirting with a triple-double.

Not that it was a major shock coming from a shooting guard drafted top-five, but this was probably sooner than most people expected. You'll notice throughout this list that young Dwyane Wade had a habit of doing things sooner and better than expected.

22. All-Rookie First Team

After a rock-solid rookie outing that saw Wade already making a name for himself in the playoffs, he was a unanimous All-Rookie First Team selection, joining LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Captain Kirk Hinrich.

He put up respectable averages of 16, 4 and 4, which played a key role in re-energizing the franchise and leading them back to the postseason after a two-year absence.

As far as establishing the name Dwyane Wade in the minds of fans, and being the first official accolade given to him as a pro, the All-Rookie selection was a key milestone in his early career path.

21. Much in the Clutch, Chapter 1: That's Gotta Sting

Heat fans, meet your new bestest buddy.

This was the first game-winner of Wade's already sterling career, and like many greats before him, it came at a particularly big moment—i.e. the playoffs.

Wade had just helped lead the Heat back into the postseason and they had to deal with the Hornets, who you'll recall were traditionally an Eastern Conference team.

With the score tied at the conclusion of Game 1, Wade dribbled straight into the heart of the Hornet defense and hit a difficult floater with one second to go, to the delight of a pleasantly surprised Miami crowd.

This was Wade's inaugural heroic performance, and it set the tone for a career loaded with dramatic moments.

20. Shaq: "This Is Wade's Team"

As soon as the biggest trade acquisition (literally and figuratively) in modern NBA history arrived in Miami, one of his first statements was to make it clear that this was not his team, but in fact Wade's.

Sure it's just a blurb, and how much of it is meant as team-building deference—or as a subtle dig at Kobe Bryant—will never be known. But any time a superstar like Shaq decides to step aside in someone else's favor, that player's profile is going to rise.

By the time the 2004-05 season was well under way, Wade had already more than confirmed his new role as head of the pecking order, and he's played that role non-stop ever since.

19. Much in the Clutch, Chapter 2: The Jazz Solo

On November 19, 2004, right at the start of the Wade's breakout second season, he used a game against the Utah Jazz as a showcase of things to come.

Compared with the D-Wade we've known for years, this was still a relatively unfamiliar sight: a monstrous late-game scoring spree capped off by a game-winning shot.

We've since realized that this is something Wade is capable of on any given night, but this was one of the first times we were all put on notice that we were not watching just any young star at work.

On top of scoring 23 points in the fourth quarter and overtime—setting a then-career-high with 39 overall—Wade nailed a game-winning buzzer-beater (or is it buzzer-beating game-winner?) that just barely rattled home as the home crowd erupted.

18. First Triple-Double

For those who were still unaware at the time, D-Wade is a pretty versatile guy. He kind of does everything out on the court, and that makes him a more exciting player than a couple of pretty baskets ever could.

Of course, the statistical standard for versatility in modern basketball is triple-doubles. Many upper-middle-tier players count one triple-double among their more notable career achievements, while a select few players collect them like so many... collectible... things. Segue in 3... 2... 1...

Wade is in between with a small handful in his career, and his first one came on December 30th, 2004 against the Pistons. He finished with 31, 10 and 10 as the Heat won their 13th game in a row.

Again, it simply befits a player of Wade's stature to strike "trip-dub" off his career to-do list.

17. First All-Star Game

Every perennial All-Star has to go through earning their first selection, and in Wade's case, that egg was cracked far sooner than later. 2005, to be exact—the same year Wade earned several other honors on this list.

With Shaq newly in tow, Wade exploded in the scoring column and was the first of the vaunted 2003 draft class (along with LeBron James) to be named an All-Star. He had a decent if relatively quiet night with 14 points, and the East ran away with the win.

As far as career-defining moments go, graduating from "good player" to "All-Star" has to be featured on the list somewhere...

16. First All-Defensive Team Selection

For those misinformed enough to think Wade wasn't also a highly-evolved defensive machine, he also got All-Defensive honors out of the way in 2005.

Because if those transition steals and lockdown dribble defense didn't clue you in, or the way he goes up after shots like he's possessed by the ghost of Alonzo Mourning, then surely you'll be satisfied that the press is more qualified to observe than you are...

...yes, I know he's still alive...

Wade went on to make the second team again in 2009 and 2010, and remains a threat to crack the team every year.

15. First All-NBA Selection

If being selected to the All-Rookie team was a key milestone, it follows reasonably that All-NBA credit should come some time down the road.

In Wade's case, he accomplished this (as he did a great many things) in his breakout sophomore season, cracking the second team in 2005. For the season, he upped his rookie scoring and assist averages by a full 50 percent and was named to his first All-Star Game.

For all-too-obvious reasons, he would go on to make second team again in '06 and '11, and was a first-teamer in '09 and '10.

14. Career-High 55 Points

April 13th 2009: Dwyane Wade adds a few notches to his career scoring mark.

Up against a Knicks team that had already given up 52 and 61 to LeBron and Kobe, respectively, Wade put up 55 points, one shy of the Heat franchise high (one of the few Heat records that Wade doesn't own).

Wade actually scored his 55th point with over five minutes left to play, and he was pulled with one minute to go, so he could easily have eclipsed Glen Rice's single-game franchise record with one more field goal. He was in such a zone that he had scored 50 points faster than the rest of the team combined, by the third quarter.

At the time, it was his third 50-point game of the season, a season that saw Wade put forth four of the top eight scoring games in Heat history (hat tip: Brendan Gallagher, www.telegraph.co.uk.)

I'd place it higher if I wasn't convinced he'll best it one of these days.

13. 2010 Playoffs

The Heat's 2010 first-round series against the Celtics qualifies as a low point by any measure, but even more so if you believe (which I personally don't) Wade's contention that this latest setback was the reason he had to go out and recruit the entire world.

By the entire world, I mean LeBron James, plus All-Stars Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson (who was probably on board until the Hawks threw a max deal his way). The outcome, of course, was the most ridiculously loaded free agent haul since Stalin joined the Allies in World War II.

Although I believe this plan was set in motion long before this, Wade has himself maintained that losing to Boston—after being favored to upset them, mind you—was a major factor. Who am I to call him a transparent liar?

12. Beating Boston "At Last"

Once again, this entry assumes that Wade was telling the truth—as opposed to simply helping his new BFF legitimize his own story—when he said that his decision in 2010 was also motivated by the Boston Celtics.

The reason I have my doubts is simple: Wade never even faced the Celtics in the Playoffs until 2010. Maybe I'm just slow, but how can a team be your nemesis when you have no history against them? But I digress.

Wade must have had serious doubts as to whether he'd ever be able to beat Boston, because when it finally happened in the '11 East Semis, he and LeBron proceeded to celebrate like they had just had triplets.

Shortly thereafter, they had what seemed like a breakthrough—call it a crisis of honesty—with the media, when they confessed to being motivated by the Celtics to form their very own mega-team.

Inasmuch as there was any truth to this, defeating them would be a major step forward in Wade's career, albeit nowhere near as major (historically) as it was for LeBron.

11. Leading Miami in Career Assists

On January 18th, 2010, Wade replaced Tim Hardaway, the Heat's most prolific point guard ever, atop the franchise's all-time assists list. Not too shabby for a guy who barely ever plays the point.

That night, the Heat suffered an 18-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Wade's performance was nothing out of the ordinary, so this entry has everything to do with Wade owning the franchise assist record.

Of course, I don't need to tell you he's only been tightening his hold on that record ever since. The next likeliest candidate, LeBron, would just about have to double Wade's assist totals for the next 10 years to lead the Heat all-time.

10. 2009 Scoring Title

Let's be frank, although there is no trophy for it, and as much as it's downplayed against other accomplishments, leading the league in scoring is a pretty big deal.

When you're in a league of Kobes, LeBrons and Carmelos and outscore them all over 82 games, that's saying something...that's a milestone. Heck, it's all some players will ever accomplish worth noting (e.g. Bernard King or Tracy McGrady).

At the end of the 2008-09 season, Wade had not only averaged the most points, but notoriously shouldered the heaviest load of any player in the league. He became universally known as not only one of the NBA's top three players, but also as perhaps its gutsiest.

9. 2009 MVP Snub

At the end of the 2008-09 season, Wade finished with more points, assists, steals and blocks per game than both LeBron and Kobe—setting career marks in each that still stand—but placed third behind them both in the race for MVP.

This was attributed to the fact that, although Wade was individually brilliant, his team's record was not befitting an MVP, especially when the other two frontrunners had the two best win totals in the NBA.

Why was this such a defining moment in Wade's career? Because this, more than anything at the time, rammed home the point that the subpar team surrounding Wade was beginning to limit his reach as a league icon.

While the team was on the upswing from its dreadful 15-win record a year prior, it was clearly ill-equipped to follow its star into the land of dominant play. This, I would wager, was at or around the time Wade became particularly vocal in his grumblings for better support.

8. 2010 All-Star MVP

Toss another one in the trophy case, and add a new bullet point to the resumé: All-Star Game MVP.

That's what 28 points, 11 assists and five steals will get you, at least on most nights.

As anyone with functional reasoning centers would expect, Wade was heavily featured in that night's highlight reel. He also more or less gave the world a preview of things to come with he and bosom-buddy LeBron hooking up on countless alley-oops.

Also worth noting: This all occurred in Dallas, in front of largely the same crowd that watched Wade torture the Mavericks in the 2006 Finals.

7. Much in the Clutch, Chapter 3: "This Is My House"

In terms of the lifetime highlight reel, this one is just too theatrical not to be No. 1.

This was one of those games where, if you're in attendance live, at some point you start to wonder whether this is really happening. The No. 1 reason for your doubts on this night would have been Wade.

In the midst of playing like his usual self against Chicago, Wade hit several improbable three-pointers; the kind that most players have once in a blue moon. There was the usual once-in-a-while near-halfcourt heave at halftime, and later he hit a three at the end of regulation to force overtime.

At or around this point, you're looking around for signs that you're an extra on the set of Teen Wolf XIII. When Wade misses the game-winning layup at the end of the first overtime, you actually feel reality creep back in.

Later in double-OT, he ruins all that by stripping John Salmons with three seconds left and nailing a game-ending, buzzer-beating 30-footer off one foot.

After nailing the shot, Wade famously climbed onto a table and yelled out to the roaring Miami crowd: "This is my house!" Pretty iconic stuff.

He finished with 48 points, while missing only six shots the entire night, to go with 12 assists.

6. Leading Miami in Career Points

In March 2009, against the Utah Jazz, Wade had perhaps the biggest statistical explosion of his career, ending the triple-overtime thriller with 50 points and one assist shy of a triple-double.

This alone would have made the game a milestone in Wade's career, but on this night he also happened to surpass Alonzo Mourning as the franchise's all-time leading scorer.

Thus, over and above being widely recognized as such already in the public eye, Wade cemented his place in the record books as the lasting face of the team; this is his city and always will be.

He's also less and less likely to ever get overtaken as he continues to score in bunches years later.

5. The 2011 Finals

The 2011 Finals were a defining moment in Wade's career for one very simple reason: They straightened out the pecking order, and reaffirmed his status as the Heat's heart and soul in crunch time.

When LeBron James mailed in the back end of the Finals, Wade continued to shoulder the load and played as if nobody could stop him. And oftentimes, nobody could, to the point the team had to regret not taking the ball out of LeBron's hands more often.

He would score at will in the most awkward scenarios, attempting to will the Heat to the promised land. True, he did have some big turnovers in key moments, but overall, we came out of the Finals with a clear sense of who the unquestioned boss was on the team.

We also knew exactly who not to blame for them losing.

So even though this was a dark moment in Wade's career, the 2011 Finals still play a defining role by (hopefully) putting to rest the debate over whose team it really is. Advantage: Flash.

4.That Summer in Beijing

As most fans know, the 2008 Summer Olympics were a major factor in shaping the NBA as we now know it. More specifically, by fostering a successful on-court relationship between Wade, Bosh and LBJ, it shaped the Miami Heat into the Franken-Juggernaut it is today.

But even more importantly, that summer may have saved Dwyane Wade's career. At the very least, it rejuvenated and reinvigorated it (I'm picturing the opening courtroom scene from Carlito's Way right now).

After winning the 2006 title, Wade went through two injury-plagued seasons that saw him swept out of the first round in 2007, and a year later would see his numbers taper off across the board as his team limped to a 15-67 season.

Then he went to China that summer and won an Olympic gold medal while playing the kind of basketball that breathed life back into his career. By the time the following season was a few games old, people were marveling at how brilliantly he was playing, and he's been that way ever since.

This resurgence came at a perfect time, just as people were beginning to wonder whether Wade had hit the wall as a player. It became all too clear the he had not.

3. Winning His First NBA Championship

Accept no substitutes.

In today's sporting world, being a great player and getting far is one thing, but people just won't let you put a period to that sentence until you take home the big one.

Luckily, similar to Kobe out West, Wade was put in a position early in his career to go deep into the playoffs. Once the stage was set, it was on Wade to go out and get it, and get it he did.

In 2005, it's largely believed that the only thing that kept Miami out the Finals was an injury to Wade that cost them two closeout games against Detroit. Well...never fear; wait a year.

The 2006 playoffs were again Wade's time to shine, and this time the injury bug was not biting. By the time the smoke cleared on the conference playoffs, the Heat was locked up with the Mavs.

The rest is well-documented history: Wade went out and won that all-important ring without which (supposedly) no great player's resumé is complete. More on the specifics later.

2. The "Scheme Team"

For better or worse, the formation of the Three Amigos, as well as their legacy henceforth, will end up defining Wade's career more than almost everything else he's done in the NBA.

On the one hand, it will soon lead him to multiple rings, which will make him look better in the eyes of history. In fact, the expectations are so high and so real that he and his team have skipped straight to championship swagger mode.

This super-swag will probably define Wade's image as a player for as long as this team is together.

On the other hand, the South Beach mega-merger may also define Wade's career in negative ways. In the eyes of a great many, The Heatles diminished their legacies by blatantly opting for the path of least resistance to win rings.

At least Wade will always have one undisputed title to his name, but he now wears an asterisk above his head in many fans' books, which could hang there for a long time.

Also, each of the Heat's stars have shown their pompous sides since this roster was formed, and it will go down as a wrinkle in each's legacy. This team seems intent on laughing at the competition, and many see this as their fear of an evenly matched contest. This includes their leader.

From the astronomical expectations for the rest of his career, to the negative shift in his public image, to the potential blow to his stature, Wade will be immensely defined by his role in slapping together the NBA's first super-duper-über-team.

It's difficult to predict the ultimate effect it will have, simply because there's no precedent for it.

1. Winning the Finals MVP

I mentioned earlier that we'd get back to the '06 Finals later.

During the series, the Mavericks took a 2-0 lead and were about to wrap up Game 3, when Wade sparked a huge run to steal a win and climb back into the series in dramatic fashion.

Then all he did was average 38 points over the next three games (which I'm pretty sure he spent entirely at the free-throw line) as Miami won out, and it was painfully obvious who the Finals MVP was.

Apparently, his PER was the highest ever in an NBA Finals...

Even more important than just owning a ring (hell, even Dorell Wright has one) is how he won it, which is to say as the man. This was the team that he led, that he put on his back, that lived and died by his performance.

That's why winning Finals MVP speaks even louder of a player than merely winning a title. Rings alone can still be questioned or diminished (ask Kobe or Robert Horry), but when you have the Finals MVP to your name, then you were the best player on the best team in basketball.

Sure, nobody wins it alone, but this award further solidifies a player's existing reputation as a winner. That's why Michael Jordan is so highly regarded as the quintessential winner—he was incapable of not winning the Finals MVP whenever his Bulls went all the way.

So say what you want about the player Wade has become, or about the cheapness of the championships he's about to rake in, this is one thing (the biggest thing) you can't take away.

It's his crowning achievement, and I might add it's the reason Wade has juice over LeBron James now, and always will no matter what they accomplish together.