An array of NBA teams lined up for a chance to swoop at Dwyane Wade when he hit free agency for the first time in the summer of 2010. Among those that were heavily linked to his name were the Chicago Bulls.
While the Miami Heat was understandably very willing to re-sign their franchise player, D-Wade acknowledged that playing for his hometown would’ve also made sense if it wasn’t for one thing — loyalty.
Wade didn’t consider joining his hometown team because, in his opinion, the organization did not hold the former players in high esteem. To make a point, Flash even mentioned that Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen weren’t in the Bulls’ front office or coaching staff and after retiring were rarely seen in the Wind City.
In a candid admission, D-Wade insinuated that if the Bulls could do that to their legends, he wouldn’t be surprised to experience the same thing in the future if he ever chose to be there.
“I think the biggest question that you think about has to be loyalty,” Wade said at the time. “I know one thing about Miami: It is a very loyal organization. I see what they do with their players when their players get done with the game of basketball …how loyal they are. I don’t know about the Bulls.”
“I see Michael Jordan is not there, Scottie Pippen is not there,” he pointed out. “You know, these guys are not a part [of the organization],’ Wade said. ‘Things like that. So that is probably one of the biggest things for me, because I am a very loyal person.”
When D-Wade played for the Bulls
True to form, Wade re-signed with the Heat in 2010. By doing so, he helped Miami form the iconic “Big 3” alongside his fellow All-Stars, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
Wade won two more titles with the Heat during the Big 3’s run. In 2015, D-Wade became a free agent for the second time, but he opted to re-sign with the Heat again for a one-year deal.
Once his deal was up, Wade finally reconsidered his thoughts about becoming a Bull. This time, D-Wade figured it was time to come home and represent his city.
“I never wanted to leave Miami. That was never my goal. But once we broke down in negotiations, I decided to do something for myself,” Wade once shared.
“To go back home and play, that will always be one of my favorite moments,” he added.
A Miami icon and a Chicago legend
While Wade’s homecoming in Chicago brought excitement in The Windy City, it only lasted one season. In 60 regular-season games with the Bulls, Wade averaged 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals.
In 2017, James recruited D-Wade to join him in Cleveland, an offer he evidently couldn’t refuse. However, he eventually decided to return to Miami in February 2018. This marked Wade’s final year in the league. He played his last games with the Heat, the franchise where he became an icon.
In retrospect, even though D-Wade only played one season for the Bulls, it meant a lot to his fellow Chicago natives. For them, Wade is still considered a true Bulls legend.