Dwyane Wade and LeBron James teamed up on the Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014, winning two NBA championships. Aside from that, the two are great friends off the court.
As most know, Bron left the Heat in 2014 and returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers. There were different theories on James’ departure. However, hearing D-Wade’s version probably holds the most weight, as he was there firsthand.
Advertisement
“When you’re around each other for so long, and you’ve accomplished the things you came to accomplish….everything is not as fun as it used to be. So once you start having these little things that start adding up, that start building up, you start seeing it on a player. And I just saw, I just saw him, and I was like, ‘Oh boy,'” Wade said on “Pardon My Take.”
The missing cookies were the last straw
Pat Riley ran a tight ship, and that included making sure everyone, including James, was fit and healthy. But like any normal individual, the 6-foot-9 player had his vices. LBJ loved chocolate chip cookies, which he would usually eat during flights.
But during one flight, as James was playing cards, the top pick of the 2003 Draft allegedly got irked after learning that his cookies were not on board. Riles allegedly had them scraped from the menu because he wanted the whole team to go on a diet.
Advertisement
“I saw Bron. He was like a 5-year-old kid when the cookies weren’t on that plane. He got real quiet and pushed them cards away, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s not good,'” D-Wade said.
In another podcast, Wade explained why no one should mess around with James’ cookies. Doing so would draw the wrath of the first pick of the 2003 NBA Draft.
“One thing you don’t do is f**k with LeBron’s cookies. No, no, no, no, this is serious. He loves chocolate chip cookies and ice cream. He loves that,” he added.
Bron’s departure went beyond cookies
It would be ridiculous to think James left the Heat because of a squabble over cookies. Other factors were involved, including LeBron’s desire to deliver a championship to Northeast Ohio.
Advertisement
Aside from that, the frustration of losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 Finals likely contributed to LBJ’s decision. The Heat won only one game (Game 2) and were outclassed by Tim Duncan and the Spurs.
Summing up all the frustrations and heartaches, James opted for a change of scenery and went back to where it all started. It was a weird decision, especially considering Cavs fans were livid with LeBron. In fact, some even burned his replica jerseys and branded him a traitor in 2010.
Regardless, “King James” returned and led the Cavs to four straight finals appearances—all ironically against the Golden State Warriors. Bron would leave Cleveland again in 2018, joining the Los Angeles Lakers, a team he remains with to this day. However, the story of the beef between LeBron and “The Godfather” about some cookies remains iconic to this day.