You’ve seen the image. Honestly, even if you aren’t a basketball fan, you’ve probably scrolled past it on a "Top 10 Sports Photos" list or seen it used as a meme about ultimate confidence. Dwyane Wade is in the foreground, arms outstretched, looking like he’s about to fly right out of the frame. Behind him, LeBron James is mid-air, a literal soaring giant about to crush the rim.
It’s perfect. It’s the "Heatles" era in a single frame. But here’s the thing: most of what you think you know about the LeBron and Wade dunk is actually a bit of a myth.
The photo makes it look like a perfectly timed alley-oop. It looks like Wade just threw a lob, turned his back because he already knew the result, and started celebrating. That’s the narrative we’ve all bought into for over a decade. But if you talk to the guys who were actually on the floor at the Bradley Center that night—or the guy behind the lens—the story gets way more interesting.
The Pass That Wasn't a Lob
Let’s clear up the biggest misconception right now. Dwyane Wade did not throw a lob on that play.
I know, it looks like it. But Wade has been on the record multiple times, including a notable stint on the Trophy Room podcast, explaining that it was actually a fundamental bounce pass.
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"No matter how many times I say this, people don't understand that it was not a lob," Wade said.
On December 6, 2010, the Miami Heat were in Milwaukee. Wade was a local hero there—he’d led Marquette to the Final Four years earlier—but the crowd was giving him the cold shoulder. The "Big Three" were the villains of the NBA at that point. LeBron’s "Decision" was still a fresh wound for most fans. Every arena they entered felt like a gladiator pit.
The play started when Wade corralled a loose ball and took off. He heard the "thunder" behind him. That was LeBron. Instead of a flashy lob, Wade threw a crisp, no-look bounce pass back to his right. LeBron caught it in perfect stride, cocked the ball back into a vicious one-handed tomahawk, and the rest is history.
Wade’s celebration—those outstretched arms—wasn't just for the dunk. It was a "What now?" directed at a Milwaukee crowd that had been booing him all night.
How Morry Gash Captured Magic by Accident
The guy who took the photo is Morry Gash, an Associated Press photographer. And here is the kicker: he didn't even know he had the shot.
Gash was stationed on the baseline. He was holding a camera with a long lens, following LeBron's flight path to the rim. He was focused solely on the finish. However, like most pros, he had a "remote" camera sitting on the floor at his feet—a Canon 5D Mark II with a wide-angle lens.
That floor camera was triggered by the one in his hand.
When Gash went to his computer later to transmit the photos, he thought the handheld shots of the dunk were just "okay." Then he looked at the files from the remote camera. He was stunned. He hadn't even realized Wade was in the frame during the live action.
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The low angle of the floor camera is what makes LeBron look like he’s ten feet in the air. It’s what gives Wade that larger-than-life, cinematic posture. It was a combination of elite positioning and a healthy dose of luck.
Why the LeBron and Wade Dunk Still Matters
We are well past the 15-year mark since that game, and yet this image is more popular than it was in 2010. Why?
Part of it is the sheer technical brilliance of the play. But mostly, it represents a shift in sports culture. That 2010-2011 Heat team was the first "superteam" of the social media age. They were hated. They were arrogant. They were spectacular.
The LeBron and Wade dunk photo captured that arrogance in its purest form. It didn't matter that they eventually lost to the Mavericks in the Finals that year. The image promised a future of dominance. It showed two superstars who were so synchronized they didn't even need to look at each other to create art.
Breaking Down the Specs
If you're a photography nerd, the details are pretty cool.
- The Gear: Canon 5D Mark II (remote) and Canon 1D Mark IV (handheld).
- The Lens: A wide-angle lens on the floor captured the "V" shape composition.
- The Timing: Gash fired off about four or five frames during the sequence.
Interestingly, some people at the time thought it was Photoshopped. The symmetry is almost too good. The way the Bucks players are scattered like "deer carcasses" (as some writers put it back then) in the background adds a layer of unintentional comedy to the masterpiece.
What You Can Learn From This Moment
So, what’s the takeaway here besides a trip down memory lane?
First, the LeBron and Wade dunk is a lesson in chemistry. These two didn't just play together; they shared a frequency. Wade knew exactly where LeBron was based on the sound of his Nikes hitting the hardwood.
Second, it’s a reminder that sometimes the best results come from the things we aren't "focusing" on. Morry Gash was focused on the rim, but his secondary, "automated" setup captured the actual legend.
If you want to dive deeper into this era of basketball, I'd suggest watching the full highlights of that 2010 game against the Bucks. It wasn't a particularly close game—Miami won 88-78—but the energy was electric.
To really appreciate the photo, go find a high-resolution version and look at the faces in the crowd. You’ll see a mix of awe, frustration, and pure sports-fan agony. It’s a perfect microcosm of what it felt like to watch the Heat in 2010.
Go back and watch the clip of the play on YouTube. Notice the bounce. Notice Wade’s eyes. It’ll change how you look at that poster on your wall forever.
Actionable Next Steps
- Watch the footage: Search for "LeBron Wade dunk vs Bucks 2010" to see the bounce pass for yourself.
- Study the composition: If you're into photography, look at how the wide-angle lens creates the "superhero" effect.
- Check the stats: Look up the box score for that Dec 6, 2010 game. You might be surprised to see that Carlos Arroyo actually had a huge game for Miami that night, too.