A Look At Who Wore No. 3 For Miami Heat Before Dwyane Wade?

No one will ever wear No. 3 for the Miami Heat again. However, who wore it before Dwyane Wade made it famous?

Unknown date; Orlando, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Miami Heat guard (3) Steve Smith in action against the Orlando Magic during the 1992 season at the Orlando Arena. Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images © Copyright Imagn Images / RVR Photos-Imagn Images

From Anthony Taylor (1989) through LaPhonso Ellis (2003), eight Miami Heat players donned the No. 3 jersey before Dwyane Wade was drafted out of Marquette in 2004.

In between Taylor and Ellis, first-round picks such as Steve Smith and Khalid Reeves wore No. 3.

Both Smith and Reeves played well, but were not superstars in Miami before they were both traded.

Smith, who was selected out of Michigan State, wore the jersey from 1992-1995. He was then traded to the Atlanta Hawks.

Reeves wore it in 1995 during his only season with the Heat. For his career, Reeves averaged 7.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.

Reeves was part of one of the biggest trades for the Heat when Alonzo Mourning came to Miami. Reeves was traded to Charlotte with Glen Rice, Matt Geiger and a first-round selection.

Smith had a a long career that lasted 14 seasons. When Smith was traded by Miami, he went to play for the Atlanta Hawks. He also played with Portland, San Antonio, New Orleans and Charlotte. He averaged 14.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists over his career.

For every first round pick who wore the number, there are also players like Charles Harris in 1998 and Jamie Watson in 1999 who did not accomplish much during their stay in Miami.

Watson was a second-round pick by Utah. His career lasted all of 102 games. He averaged 3,2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists.

Ellis might have been the closest to a star, but he was past his prime when he joined the Heat in 2002. He only lasted one season before retiring.

Scott Salomon is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI, He can be reached at sas@southfloridamedianetwork.com.

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