'I think the timing is perfect,' Wade grateful on return to Heat
No. 3 back in Miami after stops in Chicago, Cleveland
Jeff Tavss, Executive Producer
MIAMI – Wearing a "I feel like Flash" t-shirt, Dwyane Wade spoke Friday for the first time since returning to the Miami Heat in a stunning deadline day trade.
"I wasn't planning on coming here until March, late March," Wade said with a smile on his face. "The one thing I always say about the NBA is that you never know what's going to happen."
Wade said that he always expected to come back to the team that drafted him in 2003, but didn't expect it would be so soon.
"It's definitely something that I envisioned for myself one day, just didn't know it would come right now, but I think the timing is perfect." said Wade.
The Heat traded a second-round pick in 2024 for Wade's second stint with the Heat, two years after he left the team following a run which led to three NBA titles.
"Never leave a place and throw shade on anyone or anything because you're not there," Wade said about the homecoming. "You leave with grace and you never know what can happen."
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said Wade is expected to play Friday night vs. the Bucks, but will come off the bench.
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Here's a glance at Dwyane Wade's basketball career coming full circle, from Marquette to Miami and back again.Dwyane Wade started every game in which he played for Marquette, leading the Golden Eagles to the Final Four in 2003. He was a first-team All-American as a junior and elected to forgo his senior year to enter the 2003 NBA draft.Dwyane Wade was picked fifth overall in the 2003 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. As a rookie, Wade averaged 16.2 points per game and helped the Heat rebound from a 5-15 start to finish 42-40 and qualify for the playoffs.Dwyane Wade celebrates with teammate Shaquille O'Neal in 2006 after the Miami Heat won their first NBA championship in franchise history. The Heat rallied from an 0-2 deficit in the NBA Finals to beat the Dallas Mavericks 4-2. Wade was named MVP of the series.Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh became teammates in 2010, officially beginning the "Big Three" era of the Miami Heat. Together they played in four consecutive NBA Finals.Dwyane Wade surely wasn't happy after the "Big Three" failed to deliver on their promise, losing to the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2011 NBA Finals.Dwayne Wade and LeBron James celebrate after the Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 in the 2012 NBA Finals.Dwyane Wade celebrates with teammates LeBron James and Chris Bosh after winning their second consecutive NBA championship in 2013. The Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-3 in the NBA Finals.It was the beginning of the end of the "Big Three" era for the Miami Heat after Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh fell to the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2014 NBA Finals.Dwyane Wade signed a two-year deal worth $47.5 million with the Chicago Bulls in July 2016, leaving Miami after 13 seasons with the Heat. He was a 12-time NBA All-Star during his tenure in Miami and was the NBA's scoring champion in 2009.Dwyane Wade made his return to Miami for the first time since leaving the Heat on Nov. 10, 2016. Receiving much fanfare, Wade was 5-of-17 from field-goal range and 0-4 from long distance, but the Bulls won 98-95.Dwyane Wade signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers in September 2017, reuniting with former teammate LeBron James. Wade and the Bulls agreed to a buyout of the remaining year of his contract.Dwayne Wade faced his former team again while playing for the Cavaliers on Nov. 28, 2017. Wade shot just .500 and was 1-2 from three-point range, but Cleveland won 108-97.Miami's Dwyane Wade looks on during the first half of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at American Airlines Arena on Feb. 9, 2018 in Miami. It was Wade's first game back with the Heat after being traded from Cleveland.
Here's a glance at Dwyane Wade's basketball career coming full circle, from Marquette to Miami and back again.
No. 3 spent 13 seasons with the Heat, leading Miami to three NBA titles. He left to play for his hometown Chicago Bulls in 2016 before signing with the Cavaliers last year.
