Video: Dwyane Wade's First Press Conference Since Returning to Miami
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Video: Dwyane Wade’s First Press Conference Since Returning to Miami

Dwyane Wade's First Press Conference Since Returning to Miami

The return of Miami Heat icon Dwyane Wade to the team on Thursday sparked surprise from members of the Heat and a run on his jerseys from fans. That collective enthusiasm was enough to warrant the team having a Wade press conference on Friday morning.

Wade spoke about how he found out about what was at the time a pending deal:

“So, about 11:45 a.m. I left my house. I was headed into the practice gym in Cleveland. It was all day before we traveled so I was going to get some work in. And about 12 o’clock I got a text from my agent Leon Rose said ‘Calling me 9-1-1.’ I haven’t gotten a lot ‘911 call me now’ messages on the trade deadline throughout my career. So I knew it was something.”

The three-time NBA champion continued to discuss what Rose told him:

“At first it was the possibility of [the trade]. He told me about the conversation from Cleveland’s side. He said it was a conversation, something that was being talked about. Obviously I had to agree to it. And I definitely agreed to it. Then it went from there. From there, it was just kind of waiting to see how everything worked out and played [out]. So I decided to go and finish my day until I found out.”

During that wait, Wade and LeBron James had a farewell lunch:

“It was just me and LeBron at the practice gym. We had lunch planned,” Wade said. “So I said, ‘Well, since it finally happened and I’m going to Miami, let’s go have this last bad lunch. Because I’ve got to do body fat tomorrow.’ Let me go enjoy this food. I kind of had a sendoff lunch. And then I got on a plane and came here.”

The thrill of rejoining the Heat was felt by Wade prior to the morning shootaround:

“Walking in here this morning going to the trainers and then seeing my teammates come in, it’s all just happening fast,” Wade said. “But I was definitely shocked. At the same time, I was over-the-moon excited. So I definitely had a lot of different emotions. But it’s all working itself through my body right now.”

The 36-year-old Wade left the team to sign a two-year free agent contract with the Chicago Bulls in July 2016, then obtained a buyout last September from the team. He then signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who sent him to the Heat on Thursday in a whirlwind makeover of their team roster.

Wade is expected to come off the bench for the Heat in their Friday night game at American Airlines Arena against the Milwaukee Bucks.

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