The Miami Heat president made a bold claim about Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant after the 2006 NBA Championship
In the world of the NBA, being the best current player is a very broad term, which can be open to many interpretations. Some feel he is the best player on the team that recently won the championship. On the other hand, others feel that the best player is based solely on individual accolades and achievements.
Dwayne Wade, in 2006, led the Miami Heat to an NBA championship.
Entering the Finals, the Heat were considered the underdogs, even after having a rising star in D Wade and Shaquille O’Neal. On the other hand, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs were considered the big favorites.
After the Mavs took a 2-0 lead, DWade flipped a metaphorical switch and turned the series on its head. He scored 157 points in the next four games and gave Miami the Larry O’Brien Trophy. He also became the first of the 2003 Draft class to make it to the promised land.
Pat Riley thought Dwyane Wade was better than Kobe Bryant
When Shaquille O’Neal parted ways with the Lakers and moved to Miami, two things happened. One, the Lakers were no longer the best in the West.
Kobe Bryant was trying to lead a team alone for the first time. Two, Dwyane Wade was developing into an excellent young player, and having Shaq second fiddle to him helped.
From 2004 to 2007, Kobe and the Lakers recorded two playoff appearances, both eliminated in the first round. On the other hand, Dwyane Wade led his team to the Championship once, to the Eastern Conference Finals once and to a first-round elimination.
Pat Riley was in awe of his young talent and made a bold statement back then. He claimed that during those three years, The Flash was better and ahead of Kobe Bryant.
For about three years Wade was, in Riley's view, "the best player in the world."
"Dwyane was better than Kobe at that time," Riley says. "He had a better year by having the impact on winning in the Finals, in the biggest moments, on the biggest stage. And you get that moniker."
— Dubs pls get some Bigs (@dubs3000) September 27, 2022
Well, performance-wise, their numbers aren’t too far apart. However, seeing how Wade took his team further, Riley may not be entirely wrong with this statement.
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