Dwyane Wade says communication breakdown reason for leaving Heat
Dwyane Wade said his departure from the Miami Heat after 13 seasons and three NBA titles came down to a breakdown of communication last offseason.
“I thought it was an opportunity I would be there forever, but s--t happens,” Wade told CSNChicago.com in a story published on Tuesday. “And when s--t happens, you gotta be prepared to (move on). I found out very quickly that this is a business.”
Wade, 34, signed with the Chicago Bulls, his hometown team, in July after he entered free agency. Wade opted for free agency in 2010, leaving nearly $42 million on the table, to give the Heat the cap space to sign LeBron James and Chris Bosh, cogs in two Heat title runs.
“There's this notion out there that I expected stuff on the back end,” Wade said. “No, I've always wanted as a player what I was worth.”
Wade said “things started changing” after James returned to Cleveland in 2014 and Heat president Pat Riley gave Bosh a max contract.
“Then it became a situation with me from that standpoint and I wasn't happy with it,” Wade told CSNChicago.com.
Wade insists he’s not bitter about his departure from the Heat, who drafted him with the fifth overall pick 2003 NBA Draft.
“I've kept in touch (with) everybody there, besides Pat,” Wade said. “From the owners on down. It’s nothing but respect, and I have no hard feelings. I understand what Pat is, he's a competitor. I've been knowing him for 13 years so I expect no different.”
