Ranked! Top 5 Shooting Guards in NBA History As Dwyane Wade Enters Hall of Fame

• Dwyane Wade is officially a Hall of Famer
• The Miami Heat icon was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this past weekend
• After an epic weekend for Wade, Sports Brief ranks the top 5 shooting guards of all time

Dwyane Wade capped off his incredible career by entering the Basketball Hall of Fame. Over the weekend, the Miami Heat icon was part of a star-studded line-up inducted this weekend, including Paul Gasol, Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki, and Gregg Popovich.

He retired in 2019 after a hugely successful 16-year NBA career and is among the greatest players in the history of the NBA. He was a 13-time All-Star, led the league in scoring once, and was named the 2006 NBA Finals MVP as Miami won the first of their three NBA championships.

Wade was one of the most unstoppable shooting guards in the NBA and became one of the faces of the NBA alongside LeBron James when Michael Jordan called it a day in 2003.

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So where does he rank among shooting guards in NBA history? So without further ado, here are the top 5 shooting guards of all time.

5. Clyde Drexler

Like many players in the 1990s, Drexler was on top of his game when Michael Jordan was starting to dominate. Still, he held his own. He was a perennial All-Star and made the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team alongside his longtime adversary, Jordan. He led the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals twice, in 1990 and 1992, but they lost to Detroit and Jordan's Chicago.

The 14th overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft won his first championship with the Houston Rockets in 1995 alongside Hakeem Olajuwon. He averaged 20.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 6 assists in his career.

4. James Harden

Harden is the only player on this list without an NBA ring. An NBA title would cap off a legendary career. The 2018 MVP has received strong criticism for his underwhelming performances in the postseason, something we saw this year too. He has been the best shooting guard for the last decade, breaking all kinds of records.

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In 2018-19, Harden joined Wilt Chamberlain (five times) and Michael Jordan (once) as the only players in NBA history to average over 36 points per game in a season. His Rockets team were in an era dominated by the dynastic Golden State Warriors. His postseason failures should not overshadow his historic performances, per Deadspin.

3. Dwyane Wade

Miami's icon is now in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Harden probably has better career numbers compared to Wade, but the latter's 2006 NBA title at 24 gives him an edge. He averaged 34.7 points, coming through multiple times in the clutch during the series, and at 24, was the fifth youngest to be awarded Finals MVP. He won two more titles (2012, 2013) alongside LeBron James.

He took a back seat when James arrived, which shows his mentality and desire to win at any cost. He is the Heat’s all-time leader in points (21,556), assists (5,310), steals (1,492), and games played (948).

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2. Kobe Bryant

From Longevity, competitiveness, and superstar to inspiration, the late Bryant had it all. He averaged 26.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game from 1997-2015. His accolades speak for themselves, MVP, two scoring titles, two Finals MVPs, five championships, 12 All-Defensive selections, 15 All-NBA selections, and 18 All-Star selections.

1. Michael Jordan

There's not much to say about Jordan that hasn't already been said. By acclamation, the Chicago Bulls icon is the greatest basketball player of all time.

Other great shooting guards: Manu Ginobili, Reggie Miller, Ray Allen, George Gervin, Tracy McGrady

LeBron James' message to Wade

Sports Brief earlier reported on James congratulating Wade after he was nominated for the 2023 Hall of Fame class alongside some of the game's greatest stars.

James and Wade went to the NBA Finals for four consecutive years, although the San Antonio Spurs prevented them from a three-peat in 2014

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James took to Twitter to send his friend a lovely message ahead of next year's induction ceremony.

"Congrats to my brother @DwyaneWade on being on the eligible candidate HOF list!! I mean he ain't no candidate, he's IN!!!!! Hahaha!"