How many players were better than Dwyane Wade?
As the NBA Playoffs continue to progress the focus tends to be on the players currently playing because after all the whole reason of playing is to win a championship. During this time there are less games than typically, so people need to find something to do to pass the time and that is how we end up with who are the greatest players of all time arguments.
Bleacher Report is kicking this discussion off by listing who they think are the top 100 NBA players to ever touch the court and the Heat are well represented. Among the Heat players listed is none other than the undisputed franchise GOAT, Dwyane Wade. He comes in at a solid number, placed 23rd. Now this is obviously an amazing compliment. There have been thousands of NBA players and millions of people to play basketball and being recognized as the 23rd best to ever do it, it is hard to get too mad at that. The issue is 23rd is too low in my opinion.
Bleacher Reports Top 100 NBA Players of All-Time.pic.twitter.com/muHBASxwpH
- Fastbreak Hoops (@FastbreakHoops5) May 12, 2026
The beauty of these list is that everyone has a different opinion and it sparks a lot of conversation about current and past players. So, we are going to indulge in this. Wade is always criminally underrated. Wade was a dominant two way player in his prime and always morphed his game for the betterment of the team. His sacrifice on the court, matched with his knee injuries, leads people to not understand how great he truly was.
Everyone knows that Wade won the title in his third season. Though few understand that it was arguably the greatest finals run in NBA history. After dropping to 0-2 Wade completely took over and lead the Heat to 4 straight victories to claims the franchise first title. Throughout the series he averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assist, 2.7 steals and 1 block a game. That is absolutely absurd in any era, but it gets even crazier when you realize the Heat as a team averaged just under 93 points a game. Which means Wade scored 37% of his teams points in the NBA finals as a 3rd year player. That only needs one word to describe it; Greatness.
Who drops down?
The other side of this argument is always who would you place Wade above. Afterall is someone moves up then others have to move down. For me this is a pretty easy choice. I personally would rank him above Moses Malone, Karl Malone, Julius Erving, and Jerry West. Now I am sure some people will yell at me for this opinion, but it is no slight on those legends. They deserve their praise, but if you ask me who I would rather have it is easily Wade.
Top 100 list is always exciting. Everyone has different opinions and no one will ever come to a consensus. They are made to create discussion, and this list has done a great job at that. One thing is for sure, Heat fans will be arguing about Wade's placement for decades to come. Oh, and as I am sure every Heat fan noticed, Giannis Antetokounmpo is placed right below Wade at 24th. Maybe the Heat can find a way to deliver yet another top 25 player of all time to Miami.
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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 7:02 AM.