After 13 seasons, Dwyane Wade is leaving South Beach and the Miami Heat to return home to play for the Chicago Bulls. In the days since the announcement, more details have come out about the negotiating process between the two sides.
Pat Riley reportedly didn’t reach out to DWade throughout the entire process. In fact Wade’s wife, actress Gabrielle Union, sent out a tweet on July 1 – the first day of free agency – that seemed to set the tone.
Wade shed light on his current relationship with Pat Riley while attending his basketball camp in Miami. Despite the rumors that Wade left due to tension between them, Wade clarified that there was “a lot of back and forth”, but said he wouldn’t bash Riley or the Heat. “I’m never bashing the Miami Heat organization. I’m never saying nothing negative about them, out of my mouth, about them. Like I said, the business side just comes into play sometimes, and it’s an ugly, ugly side. But at the end of the day, there’s nothing but love from me”
“There’s going to be a lot of stuff that’s said about me and Pat. First and foremost, I love Pat Riley. 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. But it’s the business side, man. He’s a tough cookie. I’ve grown into be a tough one as well. Yeah, we can butt heads at times. I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for what he’s been able to do in this game of basketball. I still haven’t even scratched the surface of what I hope my impact can be in this game of basketball. I only got 13 years under my belt. He got 13 years times 10 under his belt. So I’m not that guy.”
photo via Instagram
