Dwyane Wade is no longer willing to let others dictate the MVP debate.

Yes, the Heat guard said, he should be mentioned alongside LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in the Most Valuable Player discussion.

"Where I came from last year, people were writing me off," he said of his injury-plagued season that ended with the Heat a league-worst 15-67. "You've got some people who call it a two-man race, and you've got some people who say, 'Don't forget about D-Wade.'

"I'm just happy to be in the discussion. Coming from where I came from last year, my team winning 15 games to where we are now, it's a blessing."

In a rare moment of MVP candor, Wade said he has given serious reflection about how the honor should be determined.

"Most Valuable Player to his team, simple as that," he said. "I'm not taking anything from Kobe last year. I thought he was unbelievable. I thought he should have won MVPs in previous years. But I thought Chris Paul was the Most Valuable Player to his team last year, from the way he played and what he meant to that team.

"You've got to take a guy off a team and say, 'If he wasn't on there, how would this team be?' and see everything he brings to his team. That's my interpretation of what a Most Valuable Player is. But everyone has their different takes."