Honesty is winning policy for LeBron, Wade
Few bonds in the NBA are as tight as the one between LeBron James and Dwyane Wade — two stars and “brothers” who spend plenty of time together off the court. On Wednesday night, hours after Wade signed with the Cavs and completed his first practice, the two celebrated the exciting reunion with dinner and some wine.
But as evidenced by their four years together in Miami, going to the NBA Finals each year and winning a pair of championships while raising the bar around the league, their on-court chemistry is just as strong. James labeled it “organic.”
“I think it’s just the whole honesty thing,” James said. “When you can be honest with somebody no matter what’s going on and your games translate, it works very easily. He tells me when I screw up, and I tell him the same thing. We get on each other. We’ve always been like that, especially four years we played with one another and even before that when we just used to text. I watched his games and told him things he could’ve done better and vice versa. It’s just a brotherhood we have.”
James and Wade will attempt to rekindle that on-court spark in Cleveland. But a few years have passed since they blitzed the league from 2010-2014.
At 32, James is still at the peak of his superpowers, coming to training camp happier and in better shape than last season when he nudged his way back into the MVP conversation while leading the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals again.
Wade’s Chicago homecoming ended abruptly — just one injury-riddled season where he averaged a career-low 43.4 percent from the field and the fewest points (18.3) since his rookie campaign. The 14-year veteran will turn 36 in January, and the supreme athleticism that defined his early years has vanished. Perhaps being back with his buddy will give Wade another jolt. James certainly thinks so.
“When you’ve got a basketball mind and a high IQ about the game, then it’s a lot easier for you to make the transition,” James said.
“You look at D-Wade, you look at Vince (Carter), these are guys who are super-, super-superior when it comes to athleticism. But because of their mind, they’re able to transition and still be productive.”
James said he didn’t sell Wade on Cleveland. But he did reach out, letting Wade know how he could help the Cavs and how much Wade could benefit also, especially as he heads to free agency following this season.
“He adds another championship DNA, another guy with high basketball IQ, another playmaker that can make plays and also make shots,” James said. “That adds to our depth, and we were already pretty deep. It adds even more depth and even more playmaking to our team, which obviously you guys saw last year he can still do.”
Coach Tyronn Lue wasn’t ready to discuss Wade’s role. That answer will come soon enough, as the regular season inches closer.
But like James, Lue praised Wade’s basketball IQ and expressed excitement at the thought of another playmaker on a team that didn’t have enough of those last season.
The James-Wade Miami days are a distant memory. It would be irrational to have those same expectations this time around. Still, the 201718 season will bring some flashback moments, a few breathtaking highlights and perhaps even more spectacular alley-oops between the two.
“I’m still athletic,” James said with a smile. “And I think he still can pass, so expect it.”