Wade talks about tough decision
Dwyane Wade talked about watching the tribute videos the Miami Heat produced for him a few days ago and said it felt like he was attending his own funeral.
"It felt like it really was the end of life," Wade said Saturday in South Florida. "I guess, in a sense, it's the end of life in Miami as of now. I was going through so many emotions. I drove by and saw the fan support. I drove by and saw what the Heat had did on the big screen outside. ... This is not an easy time for me and my family at all."
Wade spoke to reporters Saturday at his youth basketball camp in Miami. It was his first chance to go in depth on his decision to join his hometown Chicago Bulls as a free agent after 13 seasons and three NBA titles with the Heat.
"I'm just really thankful more so than anything," Wade said, according to The Miami Herald. "There's a lot of things that's going to be said, that has been said, but at the end of the day I'm just thankful. I'm thankful for the love, the opportunity that I've had in this city for 13 years to just create some unbelievable magic. That goes nowhere. That will be something that we will all have in common for many, many years down the line."
Wade grew up in Southwest Suburban Robbins and attended Richards High School in Oak Lawn, followed by Marquette University. He compared himself to former Heat teammate LeBron James as someone who chose to go back home.
Of course, it's not that simple. Wade probably preferred to stay in Miami, but after a few days of contract negotiations, he wasn't feeling the love from his old team and boss Pat Riley. So Wade chose what he thought was the next-best option, which was to return to his hometown and play for the Bulls.
He agreed to a reported two-year, $47-million deal late Wednesday night. It's not clear when his signing will become official or when he'll be formally introduced as a member of the Bulls. Wade said it may not be until later this month after he takes a trip to China.
"To go home and play with Chicago is something I've always dreamed of since I've been a little bitty kid," Wade said Saturday. "It's cool to be able to make those kind of choices. You see (Kevin Durant) make a choice (to leave for Golden State). We've seen LeBron make choices for himself. You get killed for it but at the end of the day, if you love the guy, the individual, then you're happy that they're able to make that choice and that they seem happy with the choice that they are making."
The NBA schedule is typically released around Aug. 1, so it remains to be seen if the league will send the Bulls to play in Miami right away or if they'll push it to later in the season. During his years in Miami, Wade faced the Bulls in the playoffs four times (going 3-1).
"Absolutely not," Wade said when asked if he's ready to play a road game in Miami. "That's a long way away and I'm going to take my time to get there. I have nothing to compare it to really. I went to Milwaukee for the first time after I left college, great Final Four run. They introduced my name, everybody goes crazy, as soon as I get on that court, everybody starts booing me. I was at the free throw line! They were like, 'Boo!' It threw me off. I think I might have shot an airball.
"I just know at the end of the day, I know that the fans in this city have supported, have loved, have hated moments too. It hasn't been all perfect. I know that they respect what I have been able to accomplish with the Miami Heat, and my teammates, and I know they will show me that love. And if they boo me when the game starts, then they better watch what time of the game they are booing me."
Wade also talked about leaving the Heat on somewhat bad terms with Riley.
"First and foremost, I love Pat Riley," he said. "He's been someone who has been a figurehead in my life since I got drafted here at 21. But at the same time, he has a job to do. He has a different hat to wear. That hat sometimes is not to be my best friend. That hat is to be the president of the organization, and to be a businessman. And it sucks. Because you love somebody so well, you guys love each other, but the business side comes out. You know? And we have to deal with that.
"I'm not saying we've hugged and cried and shared tears at this moment. But I love Pat. And I will always love Pat. And I know he feels the same way about me."
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