All these years later, the kid from Robbins arrives back home as Chicago’s biggest sports superstar, with more crossover appeal than Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews and more popularity than Jay Cutler or the most marketable Cubs or White Sox player. In retrospect, there were enough signs that it was at least a possibility, if not a probability.
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New Bulls point guard Rajon Rondo introduced himself to his newly adopted city, knowing full well he arrives in Chicago with a reputation that brought about questions and a surprising free-agency period.
Wade’s deteriorating relationship with the Heat spurred his people to reach out to Dallas and San Antonio before free agency opened.
The Sun-Times did report that Noah will keep his Noah’s Arc Foundation based in Chicago, as well as trying to spread his anti-violence campaign to NY. Wade didn’t necessarily want to go somewhere; he wanted to go anywhere. Dwyane Wade will always be the Miami Heat. There were so many exit ramps where either side could have prevented the damage from escalating. He thanked the South Florida fans through various outlets, including a letter to Associated Press and words on his social-media accounts. Miami is also bracing itself for what might be a painful, large-scale rebuild.
Dwyane Wade says his decision to leave the Miami Heat for the Chicago Bulls was still “surreal” Thursday morning, when he appeared as the guest-host of “Live with Kelly” alongside Kelly Ripa.
And despite his anger about the breakup, he made clear that he will never bash the Heat or Riley. Wade, who is from Chicago, won three championships with the Heat, including back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013.
In another offseason move, Miami added forward Derrick Williams to its roster on a one-year, $5 million contract, as reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical. Miralles, a 34-year-old center born in Spain, last played with Joventut Badalona of Spain’s Liga ACB. He was asked about his relationship with Riley and the tension between the two during the free-agent negotiaion period. The franchise offered Wade a 2year/$40 million dollar deal, which he turned down.
Wade, who helped the Heat win three National Basketball Association championships, said he understood the hard position that Riley is sometimes placed in as the team’s president.
Then I thought about it.
Having Wade would only increase the logjam at shooting guard for the Nuggets, but they’d have the depth to pace him during the season and help prevent injuries. After days of drama, the Heat’s final offer was two years, $41.5 million, according to the Herald. At his disposal is the new “Big Three” of the Eastern Conference.
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Wade’s 21.4-point-per-game average in 14 postseason appearances also represented his highest since the 2011-12 playoffs. Both parties were culpable, and both missed chances to make it right.
