- Stephen A. Smith challenged Jeff Teague’s take that James Harden is better than Dwyane Wade was
- He pointed out that Dwyane Wade was better as a team player while also being a superstar
- Dwyane Wade brought a championship to his team, something James Harden has never done
Every NBA position gets spoken about when people discuss who the best of all time is. For positions like shooting guard, Michael Jordan is right at the top, but the all-time list is still up for debate.
Jeff Teague recently claimed that James Harden should be higher than Dwyane Wade on the all-time list for shooting guards. And Stephen A. Smith has now responded to that take.
“To me it’s D-Wade. Mad respect for Jeff Teague, who can ball. Good dude as well and props for the podcast. But let me say this, you know better. Yes, individually, one on one, James Harden was absolutely unstoppable. The handle, the stepback threes, the shooting ability, and the prowess. D-Wade wasn’t the one-on-one player that Harden is. So I understand.
“But the reason I’m challenging him is that you know that’s not all that entails. You gotta know how to be a team player. You can’t recruit players and every time you recruit, you want out… It was D-Wade who delivered that championship against the Dallas Mavericks.”
.@stephenasmith says Dwyane Wade is a better SG than James Harden 👀 pic.twitter.com/LOfkqOwxkN
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 28, 2023
Stephen A. Smith does make a good point. Dwyane Wade has a Finals MVP to his name, while James Harden couldn’t make it to the NBA Finals in his prime. He has three championships to Harden’s zero as well, and that goes a long way in all-time discussions.
James Harden is statistically one of the most prolific players of all time. But for most people, as good as he is, they would not put him about Dwyane Wade.
What Did Jeff Teague Say Exactly?
This whole debate began after Jeff Teague made the case for James Harden and brought Dwyane Wade’s name into the mix. Here’s a look at what he said:
“I got him (James Harden) over D-Wade. If you think about it when he’s by himself, D-Wade had Shaq then he had ‘Bron. He’s never really been by himself. When he was by himself, Miami was trash… He averaged 35 for like 5 straight years with like 10 assists. he’s better than D-Wade, bro, I’m sorry… (Wade) also didn’t run into four Hall of Famers.”
Teague’s point makes sense, but what Stephen A. Smith said makes sense as well. If James Harden can win a championship before the end of his career though, with a Finals MVP, maybe, then this would become an interesting debate for sure.
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