During the halftime break of the game between the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers at the American Airlines Arena on Saturday, the home team retired the No. 3 jersey of three-time NBA Champion, Dwyane Wade.

As a relatively young NBA team, the Heat retired five numbers before Saturday: No. 10 of Tim Hardaway, No. 33 of Alonzo Mourning, No. 32 of Shaquille O'Neal, No. 1 of Chris Bosh and No. 23 of Michael Jordan, though he has never played for the team.

On Saturday, February 22, 38-year-old Wade became the sixth player who has his jersey to receive the honor.

"I could have gone on for an hour. This is about me for sure, but this is about all of us at the same time – the city of Miami, teammates over the years, everyone who has sacrificed, rooted and cried. We all did this together. I didn't do this by myself," said Wade after his No. 3 jersey was raised in the rafters of the arena.

"At that moment I felt your love. That was the first of many moments we would share together. Your appreciation and love has never left me. If there is one word, one feeling I want to convey to you tonight, it is gratitude."

"Kobe said the most important thing is to try to inspire others so they can be great in whatever they choose to do. I hope I've inspired all of you."

"We're celebrating greatness and a legacy that will live on forever," said the Heat's head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Unlike other jersey-retiring ceremonies, the one for wade, named "L3GACY Celebration," will last for three days.

"The man is hanging from the ceiling in a way he'll never be forgotten," said the Heat's president of basketball operations Pat Riley.

Oh yes, Mr. Riley, there is one thing that will never be forgotten, it's the debt you and the whole Heat owe Wade.

First let's take a look at what Wade did for the Heat. In his third year in the league, 24-year-old Wade put up one of the greatest individual performances in the NBA Finals history. As the Heat trailed 2-0 against the Dallas Mavericks after the first two games, Wade averaged 39.25 points in the following four games, helping the Heat achieve one of the greatest comeback victories in NBA history to win their first title in franchise history.

In summer 2010, Wade agreed not to ask for the maximum contract so James could join the Heat to make the new "Big 3". After that season, he reached out to James who just had the worst finals and told him to lead the team. From then, Wade, as the best player of a championship team, became the second fiddle to a new guy and added more off-ball offense to his game. Thanks to that, the Heat (and) James won two championships in 2012 and 2013.

In 2014 summer, Wade chose to opt out of his last-year contract so the team could sign with James first (though James left then).

What did the Heat do for Wade in return?

They never made him the highest-paid player of the team.

They wasted the best for years of his career (2007 to 2010) so the team could collect enough cap space in 2010 summer.

After Wade lowered his salary request twice, Riley wanted him to accept a two-year, 40-million-U.S.-dollar contract extension in 2016 summer, because Riley needed enough cap space to lure Kevin Durant.

After Durant joined the Golden State Warriors, Riley still did not want to give him a maximum contract, even for just one year.

Now you understand why Wade departed for the Chicago Bulls in 2016 summer, not for money, because the Denver Nuggets offered for more money, but for respect, something the greatest player in franchise history deserves.

Now you understand why some fans were sarcastic about Riley's decision to give Andre Iguodala a two-year, 30-million-U.S.-dollar contract extension – because he never tried to do anything like that for Wade.

No sacrifice should be taken for granted.