Former NBA players Patrick Beverley and Dwyane Wade went back and forth in a very public war of words. It started when Beverley declared on his podcast that James Harden is a better player than Wade. Now, both keep throwing shots at each other in a surprising ego war.
“But when we talk about a better player, like a better player, James Harden is a better player than Dwyane Wade. People get it confused cause they think about D-Wade won a championship and you can’t take that away, but a championship is a team thing, Beverly stated.”
James career averages are 24 PPG on 43.9% FG, 5.6 RPG, and 7.3 APG. Dwyane’s career averages are 22 PPG on 48% FG, 4.7 RPG, and 5.4 APG. Harden has better stats, but Wade played in an era where they ran plays and used most of the shot clock. That means fewer overall shots, points, assists, and rebounds for the whole squad.
Anyone who picks Harden shows the brand of basketball they think would lead to wins. Now, let’s remind everyone: James’ play style is not conducive to winning. Wade knew how to play his role. Harden always needs the ball, or he’s cooked.
James played with Kevin Durant (twice), Russell Westbrook (twice), Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Kyrie Irving, and Paul George. He is now playing with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. Despite having loaded rosters, Harden has 0 rings and one career Finals appearance to show for it.
Dwyane willed the Miami Heat to victory in the 2006 NBA Finals with their backs against the wall against the Dallas Mavericks and won Finals MVP. There was that 41-point game in 2012 to close out the Indiana Pacers. Wade also scored 46 points against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2010 NBA playoffs. He is a better playoff performer than James in the biggest moments.
Wade played in much more complex offenses. He was dangerous both on and off the ball against defenses with two bigs in the paint. Harden ran up his stats in his prime by playing point guard in the Mike D’Antoni system during his time with the Houston Rockets. They would have three-point shooters stand still, waiting to catch and shoot. Clint Capella would run the pick and roll with Harden to score off of lobs, with James setting him up.
This comparison is an insult to Dwyane, but then again, there was a debate on whether James was better than Kobe Bryant. Jimmy Butler has a better playoff resume than Harden.
Harden is a better offensive engine, but Wade is a better two-way player. Both are great players, and that’s all that matters.
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