Dwyane Wade and James Harden will go down as two of the best guards of all time. However, they each found their success in different ways. One former NBA champion ranks Wade higher than Harden because of their different play styles.
Iman Shumpert Thinks Dwyane Wade Was Better Than James Harden
Iman Shumpert appeared on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast. The former 10-year NBA veteran played with and against Wade and Harden. Sharpe asked Shumpert to weigh in on the Harden-Wade debate, and he sided with the Miami Heat legend.
“D Wade. It’s a preference for me. D Wade was a different type of animal. One of my favorite guys growing up. Some of the movements he did, I think like that… I done see so much D Wade film. A lot of James Harden’s whole sh*t is shooting 3s. That goes against everything I believe in,” Replied Shumpert.
Wade only shot 29.3% from deep on 1.8 attempts for his career. In fact, he had only two seasons (2008-09 and 2018-19) in which he made over 1.0 3-pointers per game. However, his struggles from deep did not slow him down. Wade averaged 22.0 points for his career, including 30.2 in 2008-09. His athleticism and lightning-quick burst off the dribble allowed him to blow past defenders with ease, even if they gave him space to shoot.
In contrast, Harden attempts 7.6 3-pointers and shoots them at 36.3% over his 17-year career. From 2017 to 2020, the 11-time All-Star took at least 10 shots from beyond the arc per contest. He averaged over 30 points in those three campaigns, winning the 2017-18 MVP. While he still slashes to the rim, his outside threat remains his biggest weapon.
Shumpert said he admires Wade’s play style over Harden’s because he consistently attacked the basket, not settling for outside shots.
“Being from Chicago, if you lost because of shooting 3s, people say ‘we ain’t gonna see him play, he ain’t got no will to win.’ James is one of the top scorers to ever do this, but if you show me a guy that drives and gets it out the mud, I want to watch him,” emphasized Shumpert.
Wade and Shumpert Share Similar Skill Sets
Wade and Shumpert were both born in Chicago and shared some similar traits on the hardwood. They both pulled off highlight-level dunks and locked up other guards on defense in their primes.
One of Wade’s best signature slams came against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009. He dunked on Anderson Varejão in transition for an and-1 opportunity. Ironically, the bucket came after LeBron James missed a layup. He signed with Miami after the season ended.
Shumpert lit up Madison Square Garden in the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Pacers. He flew in for a ferocious one-handed putback jam after Chris Copeland’s 3-pointer bounced off the rim.