Knicks: Carmelo Anthony Shocked Dwyane Wade Left Miami
New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony was as shocked as anyone when close friend Dwyane Wade left the Miami Heat to join the Chicago Bulls.
Dwyane Wade is the Miami Heat. There have been great players other than Wade, but none more thoroughly embodied the identity of the organization quite like Flash.
After 13 seasons and three NBA championships, Wade and the Heat have shockingly ended their glorious union.
Over the course of his 13 years in Miami, Wade compiled a resume that’s certain to get him into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He’s a three-time NBA champion, a Finals MVP, an eight-time All-NBA honoree, a 12-time All-Star, and a scoring champion.
According to Nick Friedell of ESPN, New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony was as shocked as the rest of the world when his close friend left the Heat to join the Chicago Bulls.
"“I was shocked,” Anthony said before Thursday’s Team USA practice at the United Center. “I was shocked more from a standpoint it was just hard to see. It’s hard to see some players in different uniforms and he’s one of those guys who I never thought I would see in a different uniform other than Miami. But it happened, and I got a chance to talk to him and sit down with him and really dig deep about his feelings and what happened. He’s at peace now. And when he’s at peace, I’m at peace with it.”"
It’s still difficult to process.
Wade didn’t just achieve an unfathomable amount in Miami; he dominated its record books. Wade is the Heat’s all-time leader in points, assists, steals, games played, minutes played, field goals made and attempted, and free throws made and attempted.
Wade, a shooting guard, is even No. 2 all-time in blocks and No. 4 in rebounding.
With more than 20,000 points and a defining role on the only three championship teams in franchise history, Wade is an icon. Unfortunately for Heat fans, contract disputes pushed him out of Miami.
Anthony encouraged fans to think of how difficult it was for Wade to make that decision after spending 13 years of his life in the same city.
"“I don’t think the masses really understand how difficult those decisions are,” Anthony said. “And what goes into those decisions. And as athletes what’s going through our mind during those decisions. A lot of people think we can just wake up and we can just make those decisions — it’s not that easy.”"
Anthony raises a valid point.
Wade didn’t leave the Heat because times got tough or a chance to win a championship elsewhere presented itself. He left because he felt undervalued by the organization that he’s led for more than a decade.
Mind you, this is the same D-Wade who averaged 21.4 points per game as he led the Heat to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2016.
The fact that one of Wade’s closest friends, Anthony, was shocked by his decision is a testament to how surprising a move this was. Even Pat Riley and Wade himself couldn’t believe what transpired.
Nevertheless, Wade has moved on from one Knicks rival to another.
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Anthony’s battles with his friend will still be riveting to watch—no matter which jersey he’s wearing.