In 2009, inside the legendary Timeout at Shannon’s barbershop, a South Side vs. West Side vs. south suburbs debate was had. The question posed: Is Dwyane Wade the best player to ever come out of Chicago? Michael Buffer, the only add-on missing.
In the shop that day, luminaries who’d spent their lives either on the sidelines or inside the sidelines of basketball courts of Chicago for generations. All sides represented and redlined. West Siders claimed Isiah Thomas and Mark Aguirre, South Siders agreed with Isiah but included Derrick Rose’s future as a caveat due to what he’d shown leading up to him getting Rookie of the Year a few months before the verbal rumble. A moment of silence given to Benji Wilson for what he could have been. But D-Wade? All at the time said either “No” or “Not yet” or “He’ll never take Zeke’s [Isiah’s] crown.”
