Role Reversal: Gary Payton Recalls A Young Dwyane Wade Leading Him In The Twilight Of His Career

In his illustrious career, Gary Payton was known to give teammates, opponents, coaches, referees, and legions of fans an earful. Though Payton has a reputation for having a big mouth, he does have two ears that listen intently when needed.

By the time that Payton joined the Miami Heat in 2005, he was in the twilight of his career, and few players could tell him things that he hadn’t already known. Yet, there he was, taking orders from a young athlete who’d entered the NBA just a handful of years prior.

Appearing on a special commemorative podcast honoring the Heat’s title run in the 2005–06 campaign, Payton told a story about following the lead of a 24-year-old Dwyane during Miami’s first-round series against the Chicago Bulls that season. During that series, Wade had fearlessly given instructions for the grizzled vet to follow. To say that Payton barked back would, of course, be an understatement.

“That was one of the moments Dwyane became a leader. What he said to me was to get somewhere and do this and that. I understand it,” Payton said on the podcast. “The only reason we got into it is the way he said it.”

The Glove may have taken exception to Wade’s delivery, but in the end, everything played out in favor of the Heat’s success. “It wasn’t nothing after that, but I had to let him know you have to respect somebody else to get respect. Plus, I fought for you to be that man. Me and you should be a little more understanding with each other. Pat let us do what we had to do and we hashed it out.”

The improved understanding between Wade and Payton would help their team dispatch the Bulls in six games. The Heat went on to overcome the New Jersey Nets and the Detroit Pistons in the next two rounds, and in the 2006 NBA Finals, they overcame a 0-2 deficit to turn back the Dallas Mavericks and claim the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Team chemistry is crucial to any NBA team’s success, and if the two backcourt greats were not able to settle their differences, the story of the Heat’s playoff run 20 years ago might have ended differently. If anyone’s glad that Wade stepped up as a leader, it’s Payton, who won his lone NBA title that season.

“I had a meeting with [James] Posey, I had a meeting with Antoine [Walker],” Payton said, referring to the other veterans of that ‘06 squad. “I said, ‘Y’all know this kid can go. He’s the one.’ They agreed with it.”