It’s rare to find two players on the same club that rank in the top five for their position, much less two All-Time greats who play in the same spots.
That’s precisely what the Los Angeles Lakers were supposed to prepare, according to the late great Kobe Bryant. During the last few seasons of his career, Kobe desired to play with Dwyane Wade, another shooting guard.
Wade and Kobe engaged in memorable confrontations that included Kobe’s famous game-winning shot against Flash and Wade’s Christmas Day demonstration in which he dropped a 40-bomb on Kobe’s head. Could you imagine these two on the same team after these tough matches?
During the 2008 Olympics, we had a brief glimpse of their future chemistry. Arguably, the two best players on the team were Wade and Kobe. Wade led Team USA in scoring with 16 PPG, while Kobe was the unquestioned leader and closer of the star-studded bunch. Although the Redeem-Team synergy was evident in real time, it doesn’t provide much insight into a potential late-stage Kobe and Wade Hollywood relationship.
Kobe had completely lost himself by 2014. When he heard Achilles pop during a rim drive against the Golden State Warriors in 2013, his body failed him. After the injury, he made both free throws like the warrior he is, but after that play, Kobe was never the same. Father Time was around thirty-five years old, and he was unbeaten.
In contrast, Wade demonstrated in 2015 that he was more than just an athlete. Wade’s prowess has been limited by knee issues; in fact, the Spurs’ dominance over the Heat in the 2014 Finals was partly due to his knees. Wade was more than just a haze; the world will soon discover that.
Wade bounced back from those disappointing Finals, scoring over 20 points per game during a three-year span at the ages of 33, 34, and 35. He completed his post-game, which developed into a crucial aspect of the D-Wade encounter. Wade was still skilled enough to perform admirably during this playoff run. Simply ask the Charlotte man wearing the purple shirt how good an older Wade was.
After 2014, Wade was able to continue his success, while Kobe was barely surviving. Though it appeared like he was running out of gas, that Mamba Mentality persisted, going so far as to try to get Wade, LaMarcus Aldridge, and DeMarcus Cousins. If Kobe had wanted a superstar to play with him in his later years, he would have had to return to his earlier self and accept a supporting role.
It would have been repulsive to see Wade and Kobe together at their best. I’m sending two dogs to chop off everything you own. Wade ultimately outperformed the legendary Lakers player, so their grandfather stage fit would have been an interesting contrast. Even though Kobe was just 35 years old at the time, it would have been interesting to watch him give over the mantle. They might have been a famous team, but for now we’ll have to make do with their Redeem-Team memories.