No one expected Dwyane Wade to leave the Miami Heat after 13 seasons and three championships with the franchise, but the Hall of Famer eventually joined his hometown Chicago Bulls in a move that certainly wasn’t easy for him. Wade revealed how Michael Jordan influenced his decision to head home to the Windy City.
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Wade shared with Variety that being from Chicago played a role in his decision, but his idolization of MJ and the Bulls is what convinced him. But had it not been for feeling slighted by head coach Pat Rile and the Heat’s ownership, Wade never would have wanted to leave South Beach in the first place.
Similar to Jimmy Butler’s recent fiasco with the franchise, Wade also had issues getting the contract he felt like he deserved from the Heat. The three-time champion was angry that the team willingly gave his former teammate Chris Bosh a maximum contract but couldn’t find the money to pay their longtime face of the franchise.
“At the end of the day, Chris [Bosh] got his max, but Chris ain’t selling no f***ing tickets,” Wade said. “You see those jerseys in here? They’re coming to see the kid. So pay me my due, and we’ll be good. I ain’t asking for a lot. The next year, I said ‘Hey, I’m opting out,’ and I did.”
“My agent was sick at the time, and I brought the Arisons into my home because we could negotiate this ourselves. So I wanted a three-year deal to take me out, and I wanted a certain amount of money. And they wouldn’t do it.” Wade felt betrayed by the Heat, who were willingly handing out massive contracts to seemingly everyone except himself.
Instead of giving their longtime superstar what he wanted, Miami instead sought out another star to sign to a max contract while also inking an up-and-coming center to a deal nearing $100 million. Pat Riley and Heat ownership refused to budge on their stance, and eventually Wade had seen enough.
Pat Riley discussed his decision to let D-Wade leave Miami
Pat Riley is known for his headstrong personality and isn’t usually one to admit to his wrongdoings. But the longtime executive had a different approach when discussing his decision to allow Dwyane Wade to walk. Riley regrets allowing the debacle to reach the point it did and not being more involved.
“I’m not trying to fall on the sword for anybody. I have great regret that I didn’t put myself in the middle of it and immerse myself totally in the middle of it,” Riley said. “Get in a canoe and paddle to the Mediterranean if I had to, you know? Be in New York when [Wade] arrived on [July] 6th and greet him at the airport. I didn’t do that. I wasn’t there in the middle of that negotiation, and that’s my job.”
Riley was able to make up for his failure by bringing the legend back for one last full season with the franchise before D-Wade rode off into the sunset. While the Heat were unable to make the postseason in D-Wade’s final season, finishing his NBA tenure with Miami after so much uncertainty was a storybook ending to a memorable career.
