Dwyane Wade doesn’t hold grudges.
LeBron James doesn’t forget those who helped him win two NBA championships.
The relationship shared between Wade and James—documented friends—has been dissected over and over since the latter left the Miami Heat for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Surely their friendship had to be on life support or entering a free fall. Everything could not be peachy keen.
Apparently it is.
Talking with ESPN.com’s Jason Whitlock on the Real Talk podcast (via ProBasketballTalk’s Dan Feldman), LeBron’s business partner, Maverick Carter, said Wade and LeBron continue to speak all the time:
LeBron and D-Wade are totally fine, speak almost daily or every other day.
They’re totally fine. They’ll be friends for life. Their friendship goes beyond basketball and is bigger than basketball, so they’ll be friends for life.
Feeling warm and fuzzy inside?
You’re not alone.
Chris Bosh is totally feeling the love, too.
Truthfully, I’m not sure how to feel about this. Good, obviously, because one should never wish hate existed between two people, no matter who they are. Yet, on the other hand, this is all too perfect.
LeBron just left the Heat hanging. They had a chance to go for three titles in five years and he just left. Playing alongside Bosh and Luol Deng should help ease whatever resentment Wade might have been feeling, but are we actually going to believe they’re totally cool?
Guess so.
This keeps in theme with what we’ve been hearing. Wade himself released a statement addressing LeBron’s decision and it falls in line with this information, per The Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds:
As a friend and a teammate, I am sad to see my brother LeBron leave to begin a new journey. In 2010, we decided to come together all for one goal — to win championships and we succeeded. We were friends when we first joined the league and created an unbreakable bond the past four years. Our collaboration will always be very special to me both personally and professionally. We shared something unique and he will always be part of my family. LeBron made the right decision for him and his family because home is where your heart is. I know this was not an easy decision to make and I support him in returning to his roots. As an organization, a community, and as individuals, we achieved the goals we set when we first signed on together. We are champions.
That came, like, a day after LeBron’s free-agency announcement. That, just like Pat Riley’s response, and just like LeBron’s delivery this time around, was classy.
There has been no repeat of the Dan Gilbert letter since LeBron left Miami, no public displays of disgust emanating from Wade or LeBron or Bosh. It’s all been very best-friends-for-life, proving that the former troika’s ties run deeper than hardwood or free agency or rumors or pettiness or feelings of neglect or selfishness.
Their relationship is, by all appearances, just dandy.
Forgive me for not buying what they’re slinging verbatim, though. There has to be some ill will here, or at the very least, there had to be at some point.
No way LeBron just leaves Miami without Wade feeling a little slighted.
Then again, what do I know?
I’m not rich and famous, nor can I call myself an NBA champion.
Wade and LeBron are, they can.
Perhaps money and fame and championship bling allow friendships to withstand even the most awkward, relationship-testing ventures.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
