Hate Towards Dwyane Wade’s Mother in ‘Brother’ LeBron James’ Home Dismayed Heat Legend: “That Ain’t Fun”

Dwyane Wade’s relationship with Cleveland is as turbulent as the rivalry between the Miami Heat and Cavaliers. Cleveland’s bonafide icon, LeBron James, is one of D-Wade’s closest friends. But even that didn’t keep the Flash immune from the hate. Wade was revered in Miami. Opponents saw him for the formidable rival he was, but Cleveland downright villainized him. Speaking of his ‘villain phase’ on The Wine Down, D-Wade opened up about how it affected him. He was the guy who requested his city to show love to his former teammate. But what he experienced in Cleveland scarred him.

Speaking of his games in Cleveland, D-Wade said he expected it to be, “About fun and enjoying the game of basketball the way that you love it as a kid… like those moments.” As he explained on The Wine Down podcast, what it ended up being was, “the moments where you out there, you know, you got you in Cleveland, and everybody looking at you and calling your mama you know all that name and being the villains that ain’t fun.”

Why was he the villain of Cleveland? D-Wade was a big factor in one of his closest friends, LeBron James, leaving the Cavs for the Heat in 2010. Both were up for free agency and wanted to form a super-team with Chris Bosh. Miami ended up scoring this Big 3 and winning two consecutive championships. During that time when the Heat played in Cleveland, the fans’ hate was particularly directed at Wade than the rest of the team.

NBA players get booed a lot. LeBron gets booed everywhere. Wade infamously got booed by Bucks fans too. But taking jabs at your family, that’s unwarranted. As was seen when Jerry Krause’s widow was mistreated by United Center’s spectators earlier this year, the line is the family and loved ones of the pros that fans can’t cross.

The rivalry between the Cavs and the Heat ran deeper. Cleveland was ecstatic when the Mavericks beat the Heat in 2011. Things weren’t fixed when James returned to Cleveland for a second stint. Wade signed with the Cavaliers in 2017 and both were ecstatic to be teammates at the time. But James expressed his dismay in interviews at the time that he was shocked by the city and team’s lack of acceptance for Wade.

Their second partnership lasted till 2018 when both left Cleveland. Wade returned to Miami, and James moved West, but their friendship was stronger than ever.

Dwyane Wade showed more grace for a ‘villain’

On 2014 Christmas Day, Miami and Cleveland were pitted against each other after Bron left the Heat to return to the Cavs. James became Miami’s villain then but Wade urged to change that narrative. Over a decade ago, he asked Miami to appreciate James for what he’s done.

“‘Oohs and ahhs,’ they come before boos sometimes. I hope our fans are just appreciative of what he brought to this organization in four years,” Wade told a South Beach outlet back then. He went on to say that his friendship with Bron didn’t change even after he left and he wouldn’t let a sport come in the way of any of his friendships.

A decade after he exemplified sportsmanship, Wade reflected on how hurt he felt about the insults at his family. Yet he’s proven those don’t come in the way of his friendships.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.