Ex-teammates return for 2017

MIAMI — Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh began 2017 where they stood at the start of 2016, surrounded by Miami Heat teammates. Even if they’re not teammates anymore.

Despite playing a Saturday night game for the Chicago Bulls against the Milwaukee Bucks, Wade made it to South Florida to celebrate the start of the new year with Bosh, former Heat teammate Mario Chalmers and current Heat forwards Udonis Haslem and Josh McRoberts, among others.

Wade, Haslem and Bosh offered photos and videos of the Mexican-themed “Taco Bout A NYE Party” event on their social media accounts, with Wade and wife Gabrielle Union chronicling their post-game flight from Chicago. Wade shot 3 for 13 for eight points in Saturday’s 116-96 loss to the Bucks at the United Center.

Chalmers posted on his Instagram account a photo of the reunion captioned, “Different teams but some brotherly love.”

Haslem captioned the same photo, “New Year, same friends. Great memories with this crew. Happy 2017.”

Wade’s caption read, “It’s a forever thing.”

Bosh’s wife, Adrienne, posted on her Instagram account, “Together, whenever, whatever, forever!”

Wade, Bosh, Haslem and Chalmers were teammates on the Heat’s 2012 and ’13 NBA championship teams.

Wade left the Heat as a free agent in the offseason, with Bosh away from the Heat since failing his preseason physical, after missing the second half of the past two seasons due to blood clots.

Chalmers has been without a team since tearing his Achilles tendon last season while a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, currently a free agent.

The Heat returned to South Florida early Saturday after their loss to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden, with no practice session on Saturday nor a game-morning shootaround Sunday in advance of their 6 p.m. Sunday game against the Detroit Pistons.

Limited lines

Even with the Heat and the Pistons struggling, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before Sunday’s game that commiseration has been limited with Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy, his former bench boss with the Heat and close friend.

“Not as much as you would think or either one of us would like,” Spoelstra said. “It’s just the nature of this business. You get so busy and consumed with what you’re doing. Other than, ‘Happy Holiday,’ after games we’ll connect. But that’s about it.”

Spoelstra said it is different during the offseason.

“We just catch up,” he said. “Most of the time we both prefer if it’s not about basketball.”

Next step

Amid the Heat’s injuries, guard Josh Richardson essentially was cast as the centerpiece of Sunday’s Heat starting lineup.

“I love what he is doing right now on both ends of the court,” Spoelstra said of the 2015 second-round pick, who has had to shift between point guard, shooting guard and small forward this season. “He’s taking the best positional matchups, one through three, and taking that challenge.”

Spoelstra noted that Richardson spent Friday night bouncing off constant screens.