The Wade-Harden debate isn't one at all

Again, these playoffs should be the last exhibit of evidence that Dwyane Wade is in a higher class than James Harden all-time. He’s had a surplus of memorable playoff moments, stretching from rookie year until his last postseason in 2018, while Harden still searches for his signature moment.

Even if he has one, he has no hope of ever catching Wade‘s résumé. Much of that has to do with not having the same dog in his heart, and an unreliable mid-range attack under pressure.

I get it: it’s been a long time since Wade was Flash, but as a reminder, on this day 20 years ago, he went BEAST mode in Game 2 of round two against the New Jersey Nets. That night started a five-game winning streak that extended into the conference finals against Detroit.

Those Nets finished with three fewer regular-season wins than the Miami Heat, but no one remembers them because Wade and company wasted them. Keep in mind, that team had Jason Kidd and Vince Carter, giving them elite IQ and athleticism in their backcourt.

Following the Heat’s blunder in the series opener two nights earlier, Wade erupted for 31 points on 63.2 percent shooting, with six assists and four steals. He saved his best for the opening quarter to set the mood, making seven of eight baskets on outside jumpers and hard rim strikes. Consider how social media would have buzzed if X (formerly Twitter) was as big back then as it is now.

If it was, sadly there likely wouldn’t be less basketball sacrilege, especially against Wade, because we live in a society that doesn’t place a greater emphasis on history.

Those Nets, even with Richard Jefferson playing next to their All-Star backcourt, were more known for being a sharp defensive team. Wade scored five more baskets and four free throws through the remaining quarters, and had done enough to hand the team a 17-point lead for the final stretch, which was a bigger deal in the age before the 3-point revolution.

Wade was a special player because he was a fearless acrobat who primarily attacked the body. With respect to the current era, if vintage Wade were to transport into 2026, he’d be giving plenty of the top defenders nightmares with how easily he could get to the line.

For some inexplicable reason, Wade doesn’t have more respect when the only shooting guards one would reasonably take over him are Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Jerry West. Since it’s still the 20-year anniversary of the Heat’s first title, now is as good a time as ever to dust off the old tapes. Anyone willing is guaranteed to learn, or remember something deep in the mental files, while having a good time.

With how much the game has changed, going from an average of 37 3-pointers taken in 2026, in contrast to how it was only 16 and 18 in Wade’s prime, it’s impossible to get a fair reading on how dominant he was just looking at stats. He's one of the true cases of a player being better than the numbers (and his were great by the way) and his case is validated by three championships.

Before anyone wants to compare one of the current top players to him, they should make sure that those considered at least have a thicker playoff résumé than Reggie Miller, Ray Allen and Allen Iverson.

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