Just like Michael Jordan and LeBron James, many also compare the prowess of Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. Sports analyst Max Kellerman recently delved into this comparison and highlighted the one reason that, according to him, made Bryant better.

Kellerman appeared on the April 2 episode of his Game Over podcast, where he discussed several topics. Amid such a discussion about the greatest shooting guards in the NBA, Kellerman rated Bryant better than Wade, but only because the former was a couple of inches taller than the latter.

An X update from Heat Central displayed him saying, “The only reason Kobe is greater than Dwyane Wade is he’s two inches taller. Wade is 6’4 and almost as good as Kobe Bryant at his best. Between Jordan’s finals and when LeBron started taking over in the finals, the best finals ANYONE had were Dwyane Wade against Dallas in 2006.” 

Kellerman was discussing the peak ability of players rather than looking at their full career accomplishments. This statement from Kellerman triggered strong reactions across the sports world due to the legendary status of Kobe Bryant.

It is important to note that Kellerman was not claiming Wade had a better overall career than Bryant. The argument highlighted how the 6-foot-6 frame of the Lakers star gave him natural advantages

Wade stood at an official 6-foot-4, yet he nearly matched that impact at his absolute peak. Kellerman called Wade an "ultimate competitor" and the "best non-big in basketball" outside of LeBron James and Bryant. 

The core evidence for this claim shifts to the 2006 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. This series remains an example of the skills Wade had. The Miami Heat came back from a tough 0-2 deficit, while he averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. 

Wade won Finals MVP and secured the first championship in franchise history. The takeover narrative is why many analysts still rank it among the greatest Finals performances ever seen. Comparing these two players always brings up their on-court memories.

Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade Shared One of the Most Respected Rivalries 

These two guards never met in the playoffs, but they did play 20 regular-season games against each other. In those games, Bryant averaged 26.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. 

Whereas Wade averaged 24.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. The teams Wade played for ended up with an 11-9 overall record. 

One famous game featured a 42-point Christmas Day performance by Bryant in 2004. A few years later, Wade dropped 40 points and 11 assists on Christmas in 2006. They also shared a physical rivalry, a foul in the 2008 All-Star Game that broke the nose of Bryant. 

A mutual respect always existed between the two legends. When entering the league, Wade called his older rival "the bar" for greatness.

Bryant later offered huge praise, stating, “I love him. He was a vicious competitor.” This bond only grew during their time together on the 2008 Team at the Olympics.

Kellerman has a long history of defending the legacy of Wade on national television. His style tends to focus on peak performance rather than just reading career totals. 

Which player do you believe had the highest peak on the basketball court?

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Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Souvik Roy