Miami Heat: The 5 best moves of the Pat Riley era

2. Dwyane Wade

June 26, 2003: Selected Dwyane Wade with the fifth overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft

Riley made a masterstroke with the fifth pick in what will go down as one of the greatest draft classes of all time.

With LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh already off the board, a choice between Wade and big man Chris Kaman had to be made. Riley always had a liking for big men, and having lost resident superstar big-man Alonzo Mourning to a kidney ailment, the lure of selecting Kaman was real.

Choosing Wade would result in setting up the franchise for a highly successfully next decade. Included in Wade’s resume are being crowned a three-time NBA champion, named a 12-time all-star and winning an Olympic gold medal in the 2008 Beijing games.

But perhaps his crowing achievement was winning MVP of the 2006 Finals in just his third season in the league. Averaging 34.7 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game on 47 percent shooting. Despite sharing the court with three-time finals MVP Shaquille O’Neal, Wade had a series for the ages.

He has been the heart, soul and face of the franchise over the past 13 seasons, and was pivotal in helping Riley recruit James and Bosh in forming the “Big 3.” He is destined for the Hall of Fame and will likely go down in history as the third greatest shooting guard of all time.

And although his recent departure was unexpected and stunning, his legacy within the whole South Florida sports scene is everlasting.

Next: Talents to South Beach