Dwyane Wade gives his speech as he is inducted into the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame at Symphony Hall. Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

New Hall of Famer puts Steph Curry in his all-time starting five

It wasn't a surprise that Dwyane Wade put two former teammates in his all-time starting five. But the baby-faced assassin was unexpected.

In a TikTok for GQ Sports, Wade placed his Miami Heat teammate LeBron James in his starting five, presumably playing power forward, and Heat teammate Shaquille O'Neal at center. Wade won titles with both, two with James and one with O'Neal, so their inclusion made a lot of sense.

As did his selection of Michael Jordan, his childhood hero growing up in Chicago. During the airing of "The Last Dance" documentary during the pandemic, Wade declared Jordan the greatest of all time — sorry, King James.

Rounding out the top five was the late Kobe Bryant, who Wade battled many times in his career, including when Bryant hit the "luckiest shot ever" to beat him in 2009.

Choosing Curry was somewhat of a surprise. Though Curry has won two MVPs and four titles, he's usually left off the all-time lists. But a conversation between Curry and Wade from 2020 sheds light on the pick.

When concluding the chat, Wade asked Curry if he thought his Warriors super team could have beaten his own Miami Heat super team, with James and Chris Bosh. Curry's response was "Come on, man," before suggesting they settle it in a game of NBA2K.

Because the Warriors' dynasty (three titles in five straight NBA Finals trips) immediately followed the "Heatles" era in Miami (two titles in four straight Finals trips), the two never really got a chance to match up at their peaks. 

Wade said, "When you see great teams, and you see great individual players, you think, Damn! I wish I had a moment to play them in my prime."

The Heatles went 4-3 against the Warriors in that era, though it was 3-2 Warriors after Golden State drafted Klay Thompson in 2011. Golden State won one matchup in Miami in dramatic fashion in December 2012, when then-unknown rookie Draymond Green made a game-winner.

We'll never know who would win the hypothetical Heat-Warriors matchup. But Wade's confident in his all-time starting five. "Beating everybody!" he declared.

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