When LeBron James left Cleveland to join the Miami Heat in 2011, his decision was impacted by the opportunity to join his friend Dwyane Wade in pursuit of championships.
This past summer, Wade was a free agent in the midst of a difficult contract negotiation with the Miami Heat. Naturally, rumors and reports surfaced that Wade could entertain the idea of reuniting with LeBron to chase more championships in Cleveland. In an interview with SLAM Magazine, Wade described his decision to not join the defending champions:
“I thought about Cleveland,” he told SLAM, “but I didn’t fit there. You don’t just do something because, Oh, I could win the ring there. I have three rings. I don’t need to chase the ring. This is what I wanted to do. I couldn’t fight it. If you fight it, you’re gonna always be like, You shoulda, or what could’ve—I don’t like to live my life like that.”
What Wade wanted to do was have a chance to play in his home city of Chicago, as he decided to sign a two-year deal with the Bulls.
More important for Wade than forming another monster squad with LeBron and going after more rings was not just competing for Chicago, but being a presence in his home city where violence continues to be a major issue. As Wade mentioned before, his decision to sign with Chicago was bigger than basketball, and bigger than his desire to chase more rings to pad his legacy.
