LeBron James Was In ‘Disbelief’ Dwyane Wade Didn’t Get ‘Kobe Deal’ From Miami

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After spending his entire NBA career with the Miami Heat, superstar Dwyane Wade has changed teams this summer. The three-time NBA champion got a little tired of waiting for the deal he wanted from Miami and decided to return to his hometown Chicago Bulls.

Wade’s decision to sign with the Bulls sent shockwaves throughout the league. No one thought Wade would seriously consider leaving Miami, including his former teammate LeBron James. The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar was shocked that the Heat brass didn’t offer Wade a deal similar to the one Kobe Bryant got with the Los Angeles Lakers a few years ago, according to Wade via ESPN:

“They was in disbelief that I didn’t have any deal that I wanted. Bron always said when we was in Miami, he always said, “D-Wade is going to be like Kobe. He’s going to get that Kobe deal.” So I think their disbelief was, “Why are you even a free agent? You shouldn’t even be.”

LeBron was one of many people surprised that Wade didn’t get the deal he expected to get in Miami. The consensus was he’d re-sign with the Heat and more than likely finish his career with the Heat. Obviously, that’s not how it went down.

The Heat’s top priority heading into the NBA offseason was re-signing Hassan Whiteside. The up-and-coming center made tremendous strides this past season making him a hot commodity on the free agent market. Retaining Wade appears to have come in second for Pat Riley and company with the team determined to keep Whiteside.

Wade will now join Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo in Chicago. With Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah heading to the New York Knicks, and Pau Gasol signing with the San Antonio Spurs, the Bulls will look drastically different with a talented trio leading the way.