Wade dislikes comparisons to Jordan

Miami will meet Dallas Mavericks Thursday in Game 1 of the NBA finals.
MIAMI (AP) -- The comparisons leave Dwyane Wade sheepish.
He knows they're almost inevitable, though. Wade hails from Chicago, grew up a Bulls fan. A Bulls jersey with the number 23 hangs in his arena. His acrobatic, high-flying moves are reminiscent of a certain six-time NBA champion. His body is sleek, muscular. And he has that uncanny knack of taking games over when his team needs it most.
Stop, Wade begs. He's not the next Michael Jordan. To him, the notion is blasphemous.
"I don't think he wants to be compared to anybody," Heat center Shaquille O'Neal said. "I think he wants to be the first Dwyane Wade. And he is the first Dwyane Wade. I've witnessed a youngster who's earned his spot. He hasn't been given anything."
No, Wade has earned it all. Millions. Fame. Endorsements. Respect. And -- most important to him -- a chance to play for the NBA championship in only his third year. He and the Miami Heat will face the Dallas Mavericks for the title, with Game 1 Thursday in Texas.
No Jordan comparison
On that last point, there is no Jordan comparison.
He needed seven seasons to reach this stage.
"There will never be another Jordan. There's no question about that," Wade said. "The only thing I can try to do is go out and play the game the way I play it, and if people like the way I play, then that's great. And if people don't like the way I play, hopefully I can make them like the way I play.
"But there'll never be another Jordan and people need to stop comparing guys to MJ."
Wade is the first member of the ballyhooed headliners from the 2003 draft class -- LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony were among the four that went ahead of him -- to reach the championship round. (No. 2 pick Darko Milicic won a ring with the Pistons, albeit as a barely used reserve.)
That was his playoff challenge from Heat coach Pat Riley: "Be the first."
"To be in this position and have the opportunity to go and fight for a title at the age of 24, I'm just blessed that I have the opportunity to do that," Wade said.
Continuous improvement
It's a source of pride for Wade, who has taken his game to new heights every season in Miami -- from 16.2 points on 47 percent shooting as a rookie who reached the Eastern Conference semifinals, to 24.1 points on 48 percent shooting and a trip to the East finals the next year, to 27.2 points and 50 percent shooting this season.
As his numbers have soared, so have the Heat's fortunes.
"No one can look at him, including me, and say we saw this coming at this rate," said Tom Crean, Wade's college coach at Marquette. "But you look at him, you look at his drive, it shouldn't be a big surprise. Every year, he has gotten better."
Right now, the Heat can only hope Wade's health gets better.
He missed practice Monday, the team choosing to send him to a doctor instead for continued treatment of a flu-like virus he's been battling since Friday. He scored 14 points that night, helping Miami beat Detroit 95-78 and clinch the East title.
"We're going to be OK," O'Neal said after Monday's practice.
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