Dwyane Wade isn’t ducking the comparisons to James Harden. In fact, he’s embracing them, with brutal honesty.
The three-time NBA champion addressed the long-standing debate over who ranks as the third-greatest shooting guard of all time behind Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
For many fans and analysts, the argument often comes down to Wade vs. Harden, and Wade didn’t shy away from offering perspective on how different their priorities were.
“It’s going to be a lot of arguments about ‘Oh, he’s better because he scored more points. Oh, he’s better because I like his game better. He’s better because he won more rings.’ This conversation never goes anywhere,” Wade said on the Time Out podcast. “Winning a ring, it’s a whole different game than being a great player and having stats. I could have more stats if I didn’t care about winning a ring.”
Dwyane Wade on his career after recent debate about him vs. James Harden:
“I can have more stats if I didn’t care about winning a ring.” 💍🏆
Thoughts? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/ZSh7IHicKx
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) July 26, 2025
Wade’s point: longevity and numbers don’t always tell the full story.
In his prime, Wade’s production was elite. His 2008-09 season saw him average 30.2 points, 7.5 assists, and five rebounds per game. But unlike Harden, who carried a massive offensive load for several years in Houston, Wade played most of his career surrounded by stars and sacrificed volume for winning.
Harden, now 35 years old, is still chasing that elusive first championship.
He’s cracked the top 10 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list and averaged 29-plus points for five straight seasons from 2015 to 2020. But playoff collapses have continued to define his legacy, including this year’s Game 7 no-show against Denver.
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