Inside The Heat

Stephen A. Smith Claims Dwyane Wade Trumps Kyrie Irving As LeBron James' Top Teammate

Anthony Pasciolla|
Feb 1, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) high fives Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the fourth quarter of a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Heat defeated the Knicks 106-91. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) high fives Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the fourth quarter of a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Heat defeated the Knicks 106-91. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports | Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has played with numerous superstars throughout his career, but the debate over his top running mate remains split.

The conversation is centered around Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade and former Cleveland Cavalier Kyrie Irving due to James' recent praise for Irving's success with the Dallas Mavericks. The discussion caught the attention of ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, who shared his thoughts on a recent addition of First Take.

"If LeBron James had a guard in the same stratosphere as Kyrie Irving on his roster, the likelihood is the Lakers would be playing the Celtics right now in the NBA Finals. Guard play is obviously incredibly important," Smith said. "We give a lot of love and respect to Kyrie Irving and what he's transformed into. LeBron is not wrong [about Kyrie], but when we start asking about the greatest teammate for LeBron James, wait a minute. Let's not forget about Dwyane Wade."

Wade and James won two NBA championships together in four consecutive Finals appearances while Irving and James brought home one of the most impressive titles in league history in 2016. Smith was blunt about his response when asked if Wade is James' greatest running mate of his career.

"You damn right, I don't give a damn what LeBron says," Smith said. "It's Dwyane Wade, because let me tell you something, if it weren't for Dwyane Wade, I could make a legitimate argument there would have never been a Kyrie [Irving]. LeBron didn't know how to win until he got to Dwyane Wade."

Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Inside the Heat. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or check out his TikTok @apasciolla.

Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook HERE

Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published | Modified
Anthony Pasciolla
ANTHONY PASCIOLLA

Anthony Pasciolla is a sports journalist who began covering the NBA in June 2023. A Philadelphia native, Anthony has experience covering the Philadelphia 76ers as a credentialed reporter. He has written for Miami Heat, Back In The Day Hoops, Kansas State Wildcats, and Illinois Fighting Illini on Sports Illustrated. His work also includes 76ers coverage for The Sporting News and previous stories for Athlon Sports and BasketballNews. When he’s not covering the NBA, you can find him spending time with friends and family or diving into the world of fantasy football. Follow him on X @AnthonyPasci or reach him via email at ampasciolla@gmail.com

Share on XFollow anthonypasci