The consensus amongst NBA fans and experts alike is that Michael Jordan is the greatest winner in league history.
However, according to major sports pundit Skip Bayless, the man standing just behind Jordan when it comes to winning and leadership is none other than Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade.
"D-Wade was 2nd only to Jordan as a leader and a winner. Wade was never a diva: he took LeBron under his wing and publicly acknowledged in Wade County that LeBron was now Batman to his Robin. If Wade was 6'9" w/2 healthy knees, he would've been beyond LeBron." — @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/94FKmo6IIf
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) April 10, 2020
Bayless went further than just saying Wade was second to only Jordan when it came to leadership and having a winning mentality. He also said that Wade did quite a lot when it came to turning teammate LeBron James into the winner that he is today.
“He showed LeBron the ropes after the epic meltdown obviously in the 2011 Finals,” he said. “Dwyane taught him how to win championships. Just how to compose himself. Just how to maintain his pose under fire at the highest level in the National Basketball Association.
“Yet, in the end, Dwyane was far more clutch to me than LeBron. As far as the biggest shot in the biggest moment, I wanted Dwyane taking it because he would take it with conviction. He would make it with fearless composure and confidence. That’s just what he was made.”
Bayless’ take on Wade is a glowing endorsement from an often prickly talking head.
In his career, Wade finished with three titles, one Finals MVP award and 13 All-Star Game appearances. He averaged 22.0 points, 5.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game for his career.
Another way that Wade is similar to Jordan is the fact that he is completely synonymous with one NBA city.
Just like fans think of Jordan when talking about Chicago and the Bulls, they think of Wade when mentioning Miami and the Heat.
While the Heat are sure to win many more titles in the future, it will never be quite the same as when Wade was leading the charge in South Florida.
