Watch: “One of my top 5 favorites plays of my career” - Dwyane Wade reacts to his steal, dribble and alley-oop to Shaquille O'Neal, on this day 16 years ago
Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal are two of the greatest players in NBA history, hands down. Together, they were even better. Two of the most physical and competitive players working their magic alongside each other was a treat to watch. No wonder the Miami Heat, equipped with two unstoppable forces, dominated the league in 2005-06.
During their time together in a championship-winning campaign, Wade and O'Neal produced many mesmerizing moments. Here's a look at one of those moments, one of Wade's top five plays in his career:
Dwyane Wade reacts to this memorable handle around the defender and alley-oop to Shaq from on this date in 2006! #NBA75 https://t.co/2j10rxgJer
The play seen was absolutely magical. Wade, then a 24-year-old, upcoming star, stole the ball from Alan Henderson near the baseline. He then moved the ball to halfcourt, dribbled behind Sasha Pavlovic's back and threw a long-distance alley-oop to O'Neal. Shaq then caught the ball and slammed it down to seal the Cleveland Cavaliers' fate.
Miami defeated the Cavs 101-73. Cleveland's top scorer was none other than LeBron James, who registered 29 points, seven assists and five rebounds. The Heat, however, had Gary Payton, O'Neal and Wade. "D-Wade" had 24 points, six assists and four steals, while "Diesel" had 21 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade were unstoppable in 2005-06
Having lost the 2004 NBA Finals to the Detroit Pistons, Shaquille O'Neal parted ways with the LA Lakers, with whom he had helped win three consecutive championships. He joined Dwyane Wade, then in his second season, with the Miami Heat. Under Stan Van Gundy, they reached the 2005 Eastern Conference finals. There, Shaq was yet again bested by the Detroit Pistons.
"Four rings." 💍
@SHAQ didn't hesitate to remind @AdamLefkoe what stat matters most in his career. https://t.co/cTl2oKyCQW
In 2005-06, the legendary Pat Riley took over as coach after 21 games. Under Riley, Miami went 52-30. The team went on to win the championship by defeating the Dallas Mavericks, who were led by Dirk Nowitzki.
Riley's squad trailed 0-2 before winning four straight games to win the series, the first championship for the franchise. Wade was named Finals MVP after averaging 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. Meanwhile, O'Neal averaged 13.7 points and 10.2 rebounds.
In 2007, after playing 33 games for the Heat, O'Neal left Miami to play alongside Steve Nash with the Phoenix Suns. Shaq never won a championship again. Wade remained in Miami until 2016. He teamed up with LeBron James and Chris Bosh in 2010-11, forming the Heatles. One of the most fearsome trios ever reached four Finals and won two championships for Miami.