Birthday celebrations this week (as this post is written) for Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade. D-Wade is celebrating his 40th birthday, and the day did not go unnoticed by former teammate and all-around nice guy Shaquille O’Neal.
If you’re a follower of the Big Man on Instagram, you may have seen this, and maybe even sent your birthday wishes to D-Wade as well. Shaq posted on IG on Wade’s big day, and made a point of thanking him for being part of the team that won O’Neal the fourth and final NBA championship of his illustrious career.
Set the WayBack Machine for 2006 – some of you may have been around to remember it in person. O’Neal was still one of the most dominant players in the game that year. He averaged 18.4 points per game, 9.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in the NBA playoffs that year.
Along with O’Neal, it was Wade who truly led the Heat to the NBA Championship that year. The man teammates called The Flash averaged a blistering 28.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in the postseason run. He added 2.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game on the defensive side as well.
Wrapping up the postseason run, the Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks in six games in the Championship series. For his exemplary work, Wade was awarded with Finals MVP honors.
As for Shaq, he only played in Miami for a few seasons, but there’s no doubt he made a Shaq-sized impact for the team.
Where are they now? Well, we all know that O’Neal continues to be part of the game as one of the main analysts on the TNT network’s “Inside the NBA” program. As for Wade, he’s working hard as a partial owner of the Utah Jazz. He also has many other business ventures, including a TV game show.
Wade is often regarded as the greatest Heat player of all time. With three rings and 13 All-Star appearances to his name. It’s for sure that he’ll always have a place in the pantheon of Heat greats. Shaq left his mark as well, and it’s good to see the two of them remembering the good times together.