Dwyane Wade never thought he'd play with LeBron James, doesn't rule out reunion
The Bulls star has learned to never say never
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2 min read
For the first time since he became a member of his hometown Chicago Bulls, Dwyane Wade will play against former teammate LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. That meant that Thursday's media session at practice was a time for reflection on the four years he spent playing alongside James with the Miami Heat -- Wade told reporters he definitely had to change his game more than James did -- and what it's like to compete against him -- Wade told reporters that James and Kobe Bryant have always been his favorite opponents to battle.
Wade also tackled the subject of whether or not he might play with James again. (Remember when James said he'd take a pay cut to team up with Wade, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony for a year or two?) Deftly, Wade managed to keep the door open while being firm about his commitment to the Bulls, via ESPN's Nick Friedell:
Wade, in his 14th season, didn't rule out the possibility of playing with James again at some point in his career, but he made it very clear how happy he was to be in Chicago.
"I never thought I would play with LeBron," Wade said. "I didn't think it was a possibility at all. I enjoyed the All-Star Games, I enjoyed the Olympics, but I never thought that we'd play together. That's why now I look with younger guys and what they say and stuff like that because you never know what the future's going to hold for you. Just keep your comments to yourself on the future. So I would keep my comments on myself for whatever. For me, I'm here and I'm happy to be here but I was happy in Miami as well. It just happened. And you never know what happens in this game. So people should never say never on anything."
Then Wade leaned closer into the microphones and recorders present at the Bulls' practice facility.
"That's not saying that I want to play with LeBron [again]. Let me clearly say that. That is not saying that I want to be somewhere that I'm not. That's not saying that at all, but also I understand how this league works, how this thing goes, and people need to know just don't say never, that's all."
If there's anyone who should know to never say never, it's Wade, and not just because he didn't expect to team up with James earlier in his career. He said this less than five months after leaving a franchise where he was an icon. In Miami, Wade called himself a "Heat lifer," and some people around the league refused to believe he would ever go elsewhere until the reports started rolling in that he was signing with Chicago. In the NBA, it's rarely wise to assume you know how things are going to pan out.
As for the inevitable speculation about when Wade, who turns 35 in January, might possibly reunite with James, it probably makes sense to look at the summer of 2018. That's when his two-year contract with the Bulls expires. No one knows what could happen between now and then, but it seems like a natural time for him to explore his options.
