Dwyane Wade won three NBA championships. The first one still means the most.
Speaking on his The Check-In podcast, the Hall of Famer said there was never any doubt which title stands above the rest.
“I definitely have a favorite championship and it’s a no-brainer,” Wade said. “It’s 2006.”
Wade was just 24 when he led the Heat to the franchise’s first NBA title, earning NBA Finals MVP honors after one of the greatest championship performances in league history.
“I love all my championships, but that’s my favorite because … I was the leading man to accomplish that,” Wade said. “My other championships I wasn’t the leading guy. That’s the most proud I’ve ever been of myself.”
Wade also reflected on finishing near the top of the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year voting during the 2007-08 season, saying that accomplishment often gets overlooked.
“I was up for Defensive Player of the Year too,” he said. “Nobody remembers I was top three in both? … I’m 6-foot-4.”
The former Heat star also revealed that doctors warned Miami early in his career that knee problems would eventually catch up with him.
“They said I’d have five good years,” Wade said. “He wasn’t lying.”
Even so, Wade said he played through significant pain throughout much of his career, adding that he found ways to remain effective despite multiple knee surgeries.
And as for the endless debates over where he ranks among the NBA’s all-time greats?
“I’ve been compared probably more than anybody,” Wade said. “I’m alive. I hear y’all. … All I care about are the ones I played against. They know.”
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
