Dwyane Wade's basketball legacy will be solidified when he officially enters the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 12.
A three-time champion and 13-time All-Star, Wade earned a spot on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. He is arguably one of the top 25 players in league history, and at his peak, he was one of the most unstoppable shooting guards the NBA has ever seen.
But where should Wade ultimately land among the most legendary performers at his position? That is the question The Sporting News' global NBA staff attempted to answer.
Voters were asked to rank the top 15 shooting guards of all time, but only 12 players appeared on each ballot. Those 12 players were then ranked based on their average placement. (Apologies to the honorable mentions, but we had to draw the line somewhere.)
Without further ado, here is TSN's list of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history.
MORE: The stats to know in the Dwyane Wade-Paul Pierce debate
The Sporting News' NBA all-time shooting guard rankings
12. Manu Ginobili (Average rank: 11.6)
Ginobili was an All-Star just twice. He started in only 349 of his 1,057 career games. He never averaged 20 points per game in a single season.
None of that mattered. Ginobili was an indispensable part of the Spurs' dynasty, helping them win 135 playoff games and four championships. He also possessed a truly unique style. He flew toward the rim with reckless abandon and Eurostepped around countless defenders.
Simply put, there was no one like Ginobili.
11. Tracy McGrady (11.0)
How good was McGrady? Well, Kobe Bryant once listed the toughest players he has ever faced, and McGrady was his No. 1 pick.
"T-Mac" earned All-Star selections in seven straight seasons from 2000-07, and he led the league in scoring in 2002-03 and 2003-04. His combination of size, athleticism and shooting made him nearly unguardable.
Unfortunately for McGrady, injuries cut down the length of his prime, but it's impossible to ignore his stellar years in Orlando and Houston.
10. Reggie Miller (10.8)
Before Ray Allen and Stephen Curry came along, Reggie Miller set the bar for 3-point shooters. He drained 2,560 3-pointers and shot nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc in his career.
And Miller wasn't just a spot-up option. He created a template for Curry and others with his incredible conditioning and constant off-ball movement. The threat of Miller flying off a screen could warp an entire defense.
What could Miller have done in the pace-and-space era?
9. George Gervin (8.9)
Gervin was the definition of a professional scorer.
The "Iceman" got plenty of buckets during his first four professional seasons in the ABA, but he reached another level once he joined the NBA. He won four scoring titles with the Spurs, including a career-high 33.1 points per game in 1979-80.
The best example of Gervin's scoring prowess came on April 9, 1978, when he took the scoring title from David Thompson by dropping 63 points on the Jazz in the final game of the regular season.
8. Ray Allen (8.8)
Allen may very well own the most aesthetically pleasing shooting form of all time. He hit nearly 3,000 3-pointers over 18 seasons, finishing right at 40 percent from deep.
But let's not forget that Allen was a well-rounded scorer, especially during his years in Milwaukee and Seattle. He could either punish a trailing defender from the perimeter with a jumper or put a big man on a poster with a monster dunk.
Allen also deserves credit for making sacrifices later in his career in order to help the Celtics and Heat win championships. All hail "Jesus Shuttlesworth."
7. Clyde Drexler (7.0)
Often overshadowed by Michael Jordan in the 1980s and 1990s, Drexler posted outstanding individual numbers.
He averaged more assists, rebounds, steals and blocks per game than Bryant in his career, and from 1986-1992 in Portland, he poured in 24.3 points per game. Drexler then capably shifted into a lesser role, serving as the second option behind Hakeem Olajuwon on a Rockets squad that captured the title in 1994-95.
Oh, and Drexler never missed the playoffs in 15 seasons. Pretty impressive, huh?
6. Allen Iverson (6.5)
Cool, fearless, influential and occasionally controversial — Iverson had one of the most fascinating careers in NBA history.
"The Answer" led the league in scoring four times and also claimed three steals titles. He was absolutely fearless despite his size (6-0, 165 pounds), becoming the shortest player to ever win an MVP award in 2000-01. That same season, he powered the 76ers to the NBA Finals, handing the Lakers their only loss of the playoffs in Game 1.
Beyond his on-court production, Iverson established himself as a cultural icon and fan favorite in Philadelphia.
5. James Harden (5.0)
Harden showed flashes of offensive brilliance in Oklahoma City, but he really took off as a perennial MVP candidate when Houston acquired him in a franchise-altering trade in 2012.
In eight-plus seasons with the Rockets, Harden averaged 29.6 points and 7.0 assists per game. In 2018-19, he scored 36.1 points per game, the seventh-highest mark of all time. After leaving Houston, he accepted more playmaking responsibilities, most recently leading the NBA with 10.7 assists per game last season as a member of the Sixers.
Harden is undoubtedly a Hall of Famer, but he won't climb any higher in these rankings until he is able to hold a championship trophy. Can he check that box before he retires?
4. Dwyane Wade (4.0)
Harden has more total points, assists and rebounds than Wade, and the gap will widen as Harden keeps playing. But stats aren't the only factor that affected this list.
At just 24 years old, Wade delivered an unforgettable NBA Finals performance, averaging 39.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals over the last four games of the 2006 series on the way to his first championship. He grabbed two more rings as the "Robin" to LeBron James' "Batman" in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
Whether it was a scintillating slam or forceful rejection, Wade always seemed to have a sense of the moment.
3. Jerry West (3.1)
Should West be viewed as a point guard or shooting guard? Regardless of the label, he is one of the best backcourt players in NBA history.
West went a perfect 14-for-14 with All-Star selections in his career, and he managed to win both a points (1969-70) and assist title (1971-72) with the Lakers. He was even better in the playoffs, receiving the moniker of "Mr. Clutch." He finally captured that elusive championship in 1972 alongside Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich and Jim McMillian.
There is a reason why West is "The Logo."
2. Kobe Bryant (2.0)
Bryant was the personification of sustained excellence.
From 1997-2015, he averaged 26.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The accolades are staggering: one MVP, two scoring titles, two Finals MVPs, five championships, 12 All-Defensive selections, 15 All-NBA selections and 18 All-Star selections.
Bryant tragically died in 2020, but his "Mamba Mentality" lives on through the generation of players that he inspired.
1. Michael Jordan (1.0)
Duh. Who else could it be?
"His Airness" has more MVP trophies (five) and championship rings (six) than anyone in these rankings. With his elite play on both ends of the floor, he destroyed the idea that a ball-dominant guard couldn't guide his team to the promised land in the same way as a traditional big man.
Jordan is widely considered not only the greatest shooting guard of all time, but also the greatest player of all time. Good luck trying to argue that he shouldn't be No. 1 on this list.