Inside The Heat

Say what? Dwyane Wade cries foul about a former foe's assessment of Big 3

Alex Toledo|
Mar 17, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Rudy Gay (22) and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) hug at the start of the first half at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Mar 17, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Rudy Gay (22) and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) hug at the start of the first half at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

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Although the two players both retired, Miami Heat all-time great Dwyane Wade and 17-year NBA veteran Rudy Gay are still battling, only instead of on the basketball court, it's in separate podcast studios.

Recently, Gay went on the Out The Mud podcast, hosted by his former Grizzlies teammates Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, and claimed the 2012-2013 Grizzlies could have beaten the Heat that year, had they not traded him. On Wednesday, Wade went on his own podcast and made clear his feelings on the matter.

"So I [direct message] it to Rudy. 'Hey, Rudy, this must be an AI-generated quote, because there ain't no way in hell you said this," Wade said. "So he hit me back and you know, he like 'Yeah, you know, I mean it. I said it, you know, you gotta have confidence.' I said 'Boy, belt to {bleep).' So, left it at that."

Wade and Gay faced off against each other throughout nine seasons, (Gay has career averages of 17.5 points, six rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals against the Heat), and the two are known acquaintances. Wade continued, describing the next time they saw each other.

"Then I seen him and [Carmelo Anthony] at the afterparty. I said, 'Hey man'. I said, 'Man, what's wrong with you? You're not just going to win The Finals because you think you want to win The Finals, bro." Wade said. "We would have belt to, we had just been in The Finals four years in a row. We smacking y'all. You don't know how to win in The Finals, bro."

The 2012-2013 Heat, of course, won 27 consecutive games and finished the regular season with a 66-16 record before eventually winning the championship. The Grizzlies won 56 games that season, including an 18-point win over the Heat in November, (Gay finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks, while Wade finished with eight points, converting on just three of 15 shot attempts).

"You just think it's that easy, right?' Like people really think it's that easy, and that's the thing with me when it comes to winning, it's like yo, stop. No, it's not for everybody," Wade said. "And it has nothing to do with your individual talent and how great you are."

Before trading Gay in January, they were 29-16, (27-10 afterwards), and were swept in the Western Conference Finals by the same San Antonio Spurs team the Heat eliminated to secure the title.

"I mean, everything has to go right for you to win. Every break gotta go your way, and so man, stop that," Wade said. "I told Rudy, I said, 'Well, we gonna work together, Amazon Prime. We'll talk about it in the studio.' That's what I told him. I said 'We'll talk about this in studio because you lost your damn mind."

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Alex Toledo
ALEX TOLEDO

Alex, who was born in Miami, is also a producer, co-host and reporter for the Five on the Floor podcast. He has covered the Heat and NBA since 2019 as a season credential holder. He studied journalism at Florida International University.

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