Just a few days after Kevin Durant stunned and angered legions of hoops fans by announcing that he’ll play for the Golden State Warriors, Dwyane Wade broke the hearts of millions in South Florida as he leaves the Miami Heat for the Chicago Bulls, ending a fruitful and incredible 13-year relationship.
Wade’s departure is definitely a hard pill to swallow. Not only has he been the face of the Miami Heat since he was drafted by the same team in 2003 (perhaps even during the four years he was joined by LeBron James), he was also the most beloved athlete of South Florida. In 2006, he brought Miami its first NBA championship, helping teammate Shaquille O’Neal get his fourth and last in the process. Four years later, he brought some friends along to form the “Big Three” with himself, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. From there, the Miami Heat went into four-straight Finals appearances and collected two more rings. The people of South Beach have witnessed Wade grow from the explosive acrobat they called “The Flash” to a slower yet wise and finesse veteran.
It should then be asked: How did Wade’s amazing run with the Heat end up like this?
Prior to Wade’s big announcement, numerous reports indicate that Wade felt disrespected, unwanted and taken for granted among others by the Miami Heat when the latter chose to prioritize signing Durant and its own rising star Hassan Whiteside over him. According to ESPN, the Heat signed Whiteside for a four-year, $98 million contract last week. Meanwhile, Wade was only offered $41.5 million by the team for which, everyone knows, he sacrificed so much for 13 years. Wade is known to have taken salary cuts to accommodate big names in the team (most notably James, Bosh and even Udonis Haslem), and as crazy as it sounds, Wade has never been the highest paid player in his team.
But for Miami Heat president Pat Riley, it’s strictly business. Nevertheless, in a text message to ESPN, he thanked Wade for his services, saying he will always be part of the organization.
Among those who will join Wade in the Bulls are premier two-way star Jimmy Butler and crafty point guard Rajon Rondo whom the Bulls recently acquired from the Sacramento Kings after the Bulls traded former MVP Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks.
Watch Wade share his thoughts about his recent move to Chicago Bulls in an interview with Kelly Ripa in the video below.
