It was always assumed that Dwyane Wade would play his entire career and retire with the Miami Heat but that isn’t the case. It was initially believed the standoff between him and Heat president Pat Riley was just bluffs and they would eventually come to a deal like before but this time the two sides were off. Wade wanted a two-year, $50 million contract that many consider a ‘Kobe Bryant deal’; i.e a deal to show gratitude and appreciation for the years the franchise player put in, and to keep him happy and on the team. Also, Wade had taken pay cuts in previous years and has never been the highest paid player on the team. It seemed inevitable that he would get that deal but Riley refused to go above two-years, $40 million. During this time, Wade was on vacation with his ‘Brotherhood’ of LeBron James and Chris Paul. They gave him advice on his situation.
Everyone knows you have a well documented friendship with LeBron James. What did LeBron say to you, if anything?
“I got an opportunity because I was on vacation with Chris and Bron. On our vacation we take our banana boat. They left me alone; They knew what I was going through. They just wanted to hear from me what I was thinking. I think they were in disbelief that I didn’t have any deal I wanted. Bron always said that when he was in Miami. He always said, ‘D-Wade’s gonna be like Kobe. He’s going to get that Kobe deal.’ So I think their disbelief was ‘Why are you even a free agent? You shouldn’t even be.’
“They just kind of listened to me kind of talk about where my feelings were and what I was thinking. And the biggest thing that came back from both of them was ‘follow your heart. Whatever you want to do, we’re going to support you. We’re your friends. But there’s a reason you’re having these thoughts.'”
source: CBS Sports
