Jim Jackson did not hold back while addressing the idea of NBA players being loyal to their teams. The 54-year-old feels that it’s an idea that has rarely existed in the league, with long-tenured players from organizations not hesitating to chase more success or bigger paychecks when their team goes through hard times. History continues to prove it, and Jackson used Dwyane Wade as an example.
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The former NBA star opined that Wade’s leaving the Miami Heat was a clear sign that the league has always been business first, and money comes before anything else. Of course, there are rare cases of loyalty. Kobe Bryant stuck with the Los Angeles Lakers during some dark times, and Stephen Curry continues to be incredibly patient with a seemingly ghost-like Warriors front office.
But Jackson was clear. Situations like that are exceptions. Wade, for instance, was called “Mr. Miami.” That’s how big of a figure he was for the Heat. Still, he had a falling out with the franchise in 2016 and eventually left.
After years of leading the Heat to championships and putting the city on the map, contract negotiations broke down. Jackson said on Podcast P with Paul George, “We know who Mr. Miami was…What happened there? He had to leave to come back.”
Wade left for the Chicago Bulls and later spent time with the Cleveland Cavaliers before eventually returning to Miami for a farewell season in 2018. For a player of Wade’s stature to have to leave his team over money says a lot about how harsh the business side of the NBA can be.
Jackson also pointed to Alonzo Mourning’s similar path. “Alonzo had to leave to come back. Time and time again, you’re going to see this,” he added.
Jackson used his own career as another example. He said, “I came into this league, fourth…It was a market value. You didn’t have a rookie salary cap…Mavericks didn’t want to pay me.” That led to the longest contract holdout in team history, with Jackson not being able to play an NBA game until March 1993, which was more than six months after he was drafted by Dallas.
Dwyane Wade on his exit from Miami
The stories of Wade, Mourning, and even Jackson himself serve as reminders that no matter how beloved a player might be, loyalty is never guaranteed, even from the team’s side. On the Underground Lounge podcast, Wade said, “At the end of the day, Chris [Bosh] got his max, but Chris ain’t selling no f***ing tickets.”
Wade believed that the organization, including Pat Riley, wasn’t being fair to him by not giving him a three-year deal. He deserved a max contract because he was arguably the face of the Miami Heat. “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,” Wade said.
At the time, other players were being handed big contracts, and Wade felt disrespected. That led to his shocking exit from Miami, something no one expected.
Being from Chicago and a fan of Michael Jordan helped Wade make the decision to join the Bulls. Although he couldn’t quite replicate what MJ did for the franchise, it was a happy homecoming of sorts for Wade.
