“Preferably In The Garden”: When Dwyane Wade Hinted Teaming Up With LeBron James For The New York Knicks

Dwyane Wade retired from the NBA in 2019. After enduring a couple of years with the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the shooting guard returned to the Miami Heat to play one season and retire with them. Wade and LeBron James ruled the NBA in the early 2010s. But was the pair about to end up in a different destination rather than playing for Miami Heat?

Back in 2009, Dwyane Wade replied to a tweet that might have opened up some speculations about where Wade’s preferred destination might have been. D-Wade listed the offer that might lure him into teaming up with LeBron James.  “preferably in THE GARDEN !wait and c lol,” Wade wrote. Were LeBron James and Dwyane Wade very close to teaming up for the New York Knicks in 2010? 

The idea of LeBron and Wade playing for the Knicks in front of the Garden crowd is certainly mind-blowing. One can just picture them in a Knicks jersey, combining to poster opponents and hype up the Garden with their dangerous link. Maybe a bit more persuasion from the Knicks would have brought the extraordinary duo of D-Wade and LeBron to the team. LeBron was also close to joining the Knicks in 2010, but the move never advanced any further. 

Even the Chicago Bulls came close to signing Wade and LeBron to their team. However, none of these moves never happened and the Miami Heat spectacularly cashed in. Pat Riley struck gold when he persuaded Wade to sign a contract extension in order to lure LeBron and Bosh into the team. The trio was presented in 2010 and the rest is history.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade: A match made in basketball heaven

When LeBron James became an unrestricted free agent in 2010, it was evident that he was leaving Cleveland to take his talents elsewhere. ‘The Decision’ certainly got thousands of people to tune in and listen to LeBron to decide his future in the NBA. 

Upon arriving at Miami, a huge hype surrounded the trio. The dynamic pairing of Wade, LeBron, and Chris Bosh was expected to deliver as soon as their first year together. They didn’t fail to make an impression as they reached the NBA finals in 2011, only to face defeat at the hands of Dallas Mavericks. 

However, the King and his team bounced back to clinch back-to-back NBA championships to raise the roof in Miami. The combination of Wade and LeBron proved to be unstoppable. LeBron averaged a massive 30.3 points per game in the 2012 playoffs. The Heat team powered by these two along with Chris Bosh proved to be a powerful force in the league.