Dwyane Wade and LeBron James make appearance on greatest individual seasons list

ESPN included Dwyane Wade and LeBron James in its top 74 rankings

Shandel Richardson | May 6, 2020

Former Miami Heat players LeBron James and Dwyane Wade four appearances on ESPN's list of greatest individual seasons.

Wade checked in at No. 56 for his 2005-06 season while James was listed at No. 45 (2013-14), No. 9 (2011-12) and No. 3 (2012-13). Michael Jordan topped the list with his 1995-96 season with the Chicago Bulls, followed by Wilt Chamberlain's 1966-67 year in Philadelphia.

The formula, created by ESPN's Kevin Pelton, included production and how a player contributed to a team contending for a championship. While not every player on the list won a title, it excludes seasons like Wade's in 2008-09. It is widely considered his greatest but the fifth-seeded Heat were never a threat to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.

Here's a look at the seasons by James and Wade:

Wade, 2005-06: In just his third year, he led the Heat to their first championship. Wade took the lead role, surpassing Shaquille O'Neal. He averaged 27.2 points during the regular season, including 28.4 in the playoffs.

James, 2013-14: It was the final season of the Big Three era in Miami. James led the Heat to a fourth straight Finals appearances, falling to the San Antonio. Still, James averaged 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists.

James, 2011-12: In the lockout-shortened, 66-game season, James atoned for a poor performance in the previous year's Finals. After averaging 27.1 points in the regular season, he scored 30.3 points a game in the playoffs and led the Heat past the Oklahoma City Thunder for his first championship.

James, 2012-13: In a year the Heat played nearly perfect basketball, James still found ways to shine. The Heat finished with a franchise-best 66-16 record, including a 27-game winning streak. James was the key cog, averaging 26.8 points while shooting 56 percent from the field. He won Finals MVP for the second straight year after a victory against the Spurs.

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Published May 6, 2020

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here