Dwyane Wade’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame can impact the debate
When Miami Heat icon Dwyane Wade gets inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, the famous G.O.A.T. debate between LeBron James and Michael Jordan could be affected.
During these discussions, NBA pundits often use the different eras and teammates as support for their points. This weekend, Wade joins Ray Allen, Chris Bosh, Shaquille O’Neal and Ben Wallace on the list of Hall-of-Fame teammates James had throughout his career.
The debate might once again be shifted over in favor of Jordan.
Granted, when James played with O’Neal and Wallace on the Cleveland Cavaliers, it never mounted to any success as they were well past their championship days. But the situation with Wade, Allen, and Bosh in Miami was different.
Sure, Wade was dealing with injuries and Allen was about to retire but they still offered a decent amount of talent. Wade played a secondary scoring option behind James and Allen took on the 3-point shooting role. As for Bosh, he was known for his work in the low post and ability to knock down shots when it mattered.
Jordan’s list of teammates is shorter as it consists of Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc and Robert Parish. Of course, they contributed to Jordan’s six championships.
If this gap between the two isn’t enough, James’ list of Hall-of-Fame teammates can still grow. Udonis Haslem, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis, and Dwight Howard could be inducted in the future. It’s also possible Heat’s coach Erik Spoelstra could be included, as well.
