Shaq, Dwyane Wade Bet Finals MVP Trophies on Lakers-Heat Series

Posted on by Sagar Biswas

Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal made a friendly bet ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, each wagering one of their Finals MVP trophies.

What We Know:

  • The two legends talked about the Finals on NBA TV and made the bet for their Finals MVP trophies. Shaq is riding with the Lakers and Wade is sticking with the Heat. Dwayne Wade is arguably the best player in Miami Heat history and won Finals MVP with the team in 2006. Shaq spent his prime years with the Lakers winning three Finals MVP’s from 2000 to 2002.
  • Although it’s easy to see why Wade and Shaq are so loyal to their teams, they both have history with the other team. Shaq of course spent three years playing with Wade in Miami and was a part of their 2006 championship team. For Wade, the Lakers are led by his former teammate and best friend, LeBron James.
  • Based on Game 1, it looks like Shaq will be adding another trophy to his case. The Lakers entered the series as heavy favorites, but I don’t think anyone was ready for the annihilation that took place.
  • The Heat started out great and got out to a 23-10 lead early in the first quarter. However, the Lakers got hot from three and ended the quarter on a 21-5 run. From that point on, the game was pretty much over. The Lakers shot 11-17 from three during the first half, which is surprising because shooting is their main weakness.
  • Lakers coach Frank Vogel made the adjustment early to move Anthony Davis to center and the Heat had no answer. The only word to describe Davis last night was “devastating.” The Lakers outscored the Heat by 35 points in the minutes Davis was playing center. The Lakers were up by 30 at one point and won the game 116-98. Davis scored 34 points and LeBron ended with a near triple-double of 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists.
  • The Heat will have a chance to bounce back, but they sustained some unfortunate injuries. Jimmy Butler rolled his left ankle twice, Bam Adebayo left the game with a shoulder strain, and Goran Dragic suffered a left foot injury. Butler stayed in the game, but Dragic’s injury turned out to be a plantar tear. Adebayo and Dragic are doubtful for Game 2 and Dragic could be done for the series. Dragic has been the Heat’s leading scorer during these playoffs and his absence could lead to a quick ending for this series.

Wade and Shaq were among the virtual fans for Game 1. The fan wall was full of NBA legends like Dirk Nowitzki, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and many others. Fans watching from home were delighted to see one virtual fan in particular: President Barack Obama.

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