"It was a circus bro"- Jason Williams gives inside info on how Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal led Heat to their first title
In 2006, a Miami Heat team that boasted numerous star talents, including Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal, won the NBA Championship.
However, according to Jason Williams, who was the team's starting point guard that year, things behind the scenes were a little crazy. On the All The Smoke podcast, Williams shared what it was like to be part of that championship-winning roster.
"It was a circus, bro," Williams said. "Everywhere we went...I don't really get down like that, like go out to the clubs, but them dudes...We had a good time, man, it was fun. Of course, winning a championship was great, too."
Regardless of their off-court antics, that Miami Heat team - made famous for Pat Riley's decision to step down from the front office and coach them - was a dominant force throughout the season.
However, during that 2006 run to the championship, the Miami Heat never once swept an opponent. They beat the Chicago Bulls in six games, New Jersey Nets in five, Detroit Pistons in six and Dallas Mavericks in six.
It's also worth noting that the 2006 championship was the only one O'Neal won without sharing the court with Kobe Bryant. It was also the only championship Wade won without being teammates with LeBron James.
As such, that Miami Heat team went down in history for their depth, star power and off-court antics that followed them everywhere they went.
Dwayne Wade elected into 2023 Hall of Fame Class
According to a Mar. 29 report by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, three-time NBA Champion Dwayne Wade is among a storied list of electees into the 2023 Hall of Fame.
ESPN Sources: Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, Becky Hammon and Gregg Popovich are among the finalists who’ve been elected into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2023. Formal announcement will come at Final Four in Houston this weekend.
Wade is widely regarded as one of the best shooting guards to grace the NBA and was an icon for the Miami Heat throughout his 13-year tenure with the franchise.
During his time on South Beach, he averaged 23.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game, shooting 48.8% from the field. Furthermore, Wade participated in 855 regular-season games during that span, only coming off the bench on ten occasions. The superstar shooting guard also appeared in an impressive 171 playoff contests for the Heat.
His career achievements read like a dream career for young basketball fans around the world and look like this:
- 3 NBA Championships
- 1 NBA Finals MVP (2006)
- 13 All-Star selections
- 2 All-NBA first-team selections
- 3 All-NBA second-team selections
- 3 All-NBA third-team selections
- 3 All-Defensive second-team selections
- And the 2004 All-Rookie first-team
As such, it should come as no surprise that a player who has his jersey hanging from the rafters of the Kasey Center and at his alma mater, Marquette, is being inducted into the Hall of Fame to honor such an incredible career.
Dywane Wade will be joined by Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, Becky Hammon and Gregg Popovich in the Hall of Fame electoral finalists. All of them have made significant contributions to the league over the decades.