Dwyane Wade hit just one shot in his first game back with the Miami Heat, but it will go down in history.
By all accounts, Dwyane Wade’s sole bucket in his first game back in Miami Heat colors was his 1,573rd 3-pointer of his career. Coming after he checked into the first quarter in Miami’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the “shot” was simultaneously routine and historic.
Routine in that Wade’s hit hundreds of 3’s from that exact, right wing spot in his career. Historic in that the basket, which jettisoned off the back of the iron ,signaled the return of a king to his red, black and yellow shaded kingdom.
The crowd erupted and from that point Wade could do no wrong. He led the team in turnovers (four) but made up for them with two pairs of steals and blocks, one of which sent an Eric Bledsoe layup off target in the fourth quarter.
Still in 22 minutes of action, Wade’s trey will reign supreme as a defining moment in his career’s museum. So, with that in mind, here are three things about Wade’s first three back in Miami.
He’s A Shooter!
Through 14 seasons of play, Wade’s shooting from beyond-the-arc is likely the biggest hole in his game. The future Hall-of-Famer has only managed to hit 29 percent of them through his career.
To counter-balance his missing range, Wade souped-up his clutchness by a factor of a million, nailing an array of game-winners and buzzer beaters throughout his career.
His clutchness even outweighed his shaky shooting, most notably in the 2016 playoffs with Miami. After missing his first triple in the first-round series against the Charlotte Hornets, Wade made a point not to miss again until the second round.
Over the three weeks the Heat were in the playoffs, Wade’s uncovered shooting touch became a new mythos in the way of Wade.
Thus, coming back to the AmericanAirlines Arena and splashing home a 3 as his first shot, was the most fitting way to start his next chapter.
Cool Cat
What better way to showcase your age and wisdom relative to the rest of the team, than by strolling into a 3-ball? The Heat have fallen in love with shooting from distance this year; they sit eight in attempts per game and tenth in makes, but far too frequently hit droughts that eradicate leads and blow away games.
Wade’s nonchalant catch-dribble-and-shoot into Miami’s 17th point of the night, was a drastic switch away from the occasional stream of bricks launched in Miami’s shooting slumps. And while the Heat made nine more 3’s en route to victory, Wade’s casual performance stood among them all.
Batting 1000
Topping off the magic of Wade’s 3, is the iconic way it happened: on one attempt.
There’s no comparing the shot to anything else he did on the court, because it only happened once. Existing in a vacuum, Wade’s shot went up and in through the hoop, leaving in its wake reams of cheering fans and an ecstatic Michael Baiamonte.
Next: Miami Heat guard Wayne Ellington: Then, now and what’s to come
Oftentimes, greatness can’t be replicated, and as such Wade’s lone 3-pointer, dressed in pink and blue vice colors, will live on in the annals of Heat history.