No ’Flash’ in the pan: Why Miami’s Dwyane Wade is still a superstar like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James

July 15 08

Twenty-four months ago, Miami celebrated the Heat’s 2006 championship. Coach Pat Riley danced and Shaquille O’Neal rapped. Quietly, superstar Dwyane Wade enjoyed the party, knowing his playoff was the stuff of a basketball god.

Two years later, Riley is done coaching. Shaq is still rapping, only now he’s asking Kobe Bryant to sample his buttocks. And Wade is still quiet, except the league he once dominated is talking about him being mortal.

Some believe ‘Flash’ is no longer a superstar like Kobe, LeBron or even CP3. Sure, injuries took a toll, but critics focused on his poor fitness. Of course, in 2007, the Bulls swept the Heat and things bottomed-out last year when his squad was lottery-bound by January.

However, the chatter about Wade slipping is premature. Things are looking up in South Beach.

Injuries ended Wade’s 2007-08 season five weeks early, giving him extra rest. It looks like he has taken advantage of the time off. At a recent charity game, the guard electrified the crowd by converting several lobs into athletic jams.

Playing for Team USA will help. Each day, he’ll practice with eleven other mega-stars and then suit up against the world’s best in China. And the coaching staff will likely preserve Wade for Miami’s regular season by using him as a sixth man.

He’s also got new teammates. Marion, if he’s not traded for cap space, should provide athleticism. James Jones is a deep threat, capable of spreading the floor and punishing double-teams, while Michael Beasley has impressed in summer league.

Look for Wade, if healthy, to enoy a rebirth. A second NBA Title is unlikely, but talk of him falling off is flat wrong.

Is Wade still a bonafide superstar? Get at us in the comment box below with your thoughts and come back to HoopsVibe The Blog for more NBA news. Photo courtesy of photographer Killbucky’s on-line portfolio.

63 Comments: No ’Flash’ in the pan: Why Miami’s Dwyane Wade is still a (...)

Posted by
ya boi lucas
on 07.17.2008

Wade is not better than lebron, kobe, or CP3, but, I do believe he is still on their level, maybe not as good, but definitely on their level. Wade has been struck by an injury bug for last few years and seems to be very good at bouncing back. Look for a breakout season by Dwyane this year. Possibly even MVP caliber, YES, I SAID IT! .

Posted by
franchise
on 07.16.2008

blown acl? buddy iverson had 26 injuries in his career the last time he won under 20 games was his rookie season. Iverson had plenty of injuries excluding his rook season, he carried his team. Wade wasnt even puttin 100% in he was jackin up 3s when he knows hes garbage at em hes no superstar. If youre gonna tell me that a team with wade, shaq can only win 9 games at the all star break while young inexperienced teams in the west(minnesota) are winnin more and wade is still a superstar, theres a problem. .

Posted by
They call me Tony
on 07.16.2008

I’ll try to use small words because I’m obviously not dealing with mental heavyweights. The greatest to touch a basketball, MJ, was a MERE MORTAL the season he came back from his first retirement, and then ran off 3 straight. D-Wade played on a bum knee with no squad. And need I remind you, he played with the injury because the previous season he opted not to have surgery so that he could come back and help his team in the playoffs. Only an idiot (I’m mean a person who should be expunged from the gene pool), would play the "no excuse" card here. Please, like you’re out there running marathons with a blown a ACL... Losers .

Posted by
franchise
on 07.16.2008

take this into consideration: the TIMBERWOLVES, KNICKS, GRIZZLIES and the CLIPS(who had a lot of injured guys, in the west) won more games. no excuses .

Posted by
franchise
on 07.16.2008

in an injured season, wade won 15 games. c-mon he won 9 games b4 the all star break. injured or not, thats just terrible .

Posted by
BETTA CHEK YO SELF
on 07.16.2008

ITS THA EAZY MUTHAFUKIN E BETTA LET THA DOC CHEK YO FAKE SLEAZYAZZ .

Posted by
jlgkaferrari1
on 07.16.2008

none of u guys on here no anything about basketball.wade in 2006 averaged 35points a game with an old shaq n old payton n a washed up walker .ina injured season he averaged 24n a half a game. n when it mattered in the finalls he was unstopable.go ask kobe what happened 2 him in the finalls. .

Posted by
Franchise
on 07.16.2008

blaine either you;re joking or you just dont know basketball... i mean c-mon Iverson had No One when he led his team to the finals. Wade had so many players even hall of fame players. Wade’s PG was williams/payton. Iverson’s was eric snow. Wade’s C was shaq. Iverson’s was MUTUMBO, Wade’s back up sg was posey. Iverson;s was RAJA BELL. That is the definition of no one. Wade had a championship team no doubt about it his team trumps iversons or lebron. seriously payton or HUGHES? Ilgauskus or SHAQ? Newble or KAPONO? ... nuff said .

Posted by
Franchise
on 07.16.2008

Wade? better than kobe? better than lebron? lol u are a joke man. So many things are wrong with your argument. Firstly, wade is not close to kobe. Secondly, lebron drove his team single handedly to the finals. Wade had a team a great team going into the finals. Lebron carried the same team he carried to the finals to game 7 vs. the celts. Wade carried his same championship team to a 0-4 defeat to the bulls. Lebron on so many levels is better than wade. KOBE pulled his team through the toughest western conference in 40yrrs. Wade won 15 games in the weak eastern conference. shall i say more? .

Posted by

on 07.16.2008

Look Kobe has always played tough runned more than any player an played loads of minutes and a times shoot until he got bored of doing it..but an injury has never stopped him.Look at wade he’s spent half of his NBA career with injuries he might have done well in the finals i agree he played great but that doesn’t make him better than Kobe by the way Shaq did nothing? 18.points and 9 rebounds..plus wade against the spurs or the celtics? he beat the mavericks!!!every player of the celtics and spurs roster is good but in the case of the mavs it’s another story.Don’t get me wrong Wade is not bad but Kobe and Lebron are ahead of him especially kobe 81 points and more than 4 games with 50 or something .

Posted by
Blaine
on 07.16.2008

Ok, Flash is way better than kobe, flat out. shaq did nothing in the 2006 finals, i repeat NOTHING. If lebron is so much better than wade then why couldn’t lebron lead his team past the spurs? and why could kobelead his team past the celtics. i think i’ve made my point, o 1 more thing espn did an article "best individual fina;s performances" . number 2 was mj, thats right he wasn’t first, Dwyane Wade was 1st. So you can’t say dwade is bad, he’s a superstar, face of the nba. .

Posted by

on 07.16.2008

wade is a ball hog he always has the ball and when he trips, the balls accidentally goes to a teammate and he gets his assists .

Posted by
G
on 07.16.2008

Wade is the 2nd best SG in the league....point blank .

Posted by
bwill
on 07.16.2008

Kobe Bryant is the best. He is on another level he makes all nba first team and defensive team every year. His team is also a contender for years to come. Wade has a good team around him. and simply LeBron needs to leave cleveland if he wants to win KB24 all day. .

Posted by
Kobe is better than Wade
on 07.16.2008

"Up with Wade, Down with KB and LeBron" The only reason why Wade won a ring was having shaq and I can show u 3 rings Kobe has for the same reason. Kobe played with an injury if u throuhout the season in case u didn’t notice, If only kobe got a foul every time wade gets it. Wade is terrible shooting Lebron could crush wade anytime and Kobe is too skilled and too experienced for Wade.PS- If wade played in the west and in the lakers they would be worse than the bucks... .

Posted by
Kobe is better than Wade
on 07.16.2008

"Up with Wade, Down with KB and LeBron" The only reason why Wade won a ring was having shaq and I can show u 3 rings Kobe has for the same reason. Kobe played with an injury in his finger throuhout the season in case u didn’t notice, If only kobe got to the line every time wade does he’d be almost imposible to stop. Wade is terrible shooting Lebron could crush wade anytime and Kobe is too skilled and too experienced for Wade.PS- If wade played in the west and in the lakers they would be worse than the bucks... .

Posted by
that one guy
on 07.15.2008

all in favor with me of "up with wade" being an idiot say I .

Posted by

on 07.15.2008

up with wade: the only reason why wade has a ring "solo" is because the refs gave him a record number of free throws in a 6 game span in finals history. not to mention the choke job by dallas that everyone’s so familiar with year after year. don’t make something insignificant more than it is .

Posted by
Up with Wade, Down with KB and LeBron
on 07.15.2008

Wade is a superstar. He’s far better than Kobe Bryant and LeBron. After all, he won an NBA Title solo. Where is KB and James’ rings. Nowhere. LeBron is overrated, Bryant is Selfish. Yeah I said that, what? Wade, when healthy, dominates, shoots a high percentage, and has had TEAM success .

Posted by
KB24 all da way
on 07.15.2008

Wade is not a superstar like them three but he is an allstar but barely. i mean he hardly played this year and most was injurie but he shouldn’t have been out as long as he was all he was doing was resting being a pussy taking the pay. Kobe and lebron didn’t stop or cp3 didn’t either they are for real he is for fake. .

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No ’Flash’ in the pan: Why Miami’s Dwyane Wade is still a superstar like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James

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