You remember the Heatles, right? Two NBA titles and four Eastern Conference championships in just four seasons, a dynasty to remember. But how did they make it into one jersey? Well, one of the Big Three, Dwyane Wade, shed light on how this iconic trio came together to make history. While Wade and Chris Bosh were locked in, LeBron James’ decision kept Wade on edge, making for a nerve-wracking moment in the formation of Miami’s super team. What if it was going the other way?

In a recent episode of ‘Trophy Room with Candace Parker’, Dwyane Wade shed some light on how the Big Three came together. And of course, the revelations left fans in awe. Wade claimed he had known all along what LeBron James’ decision would be. When Parker pressed him to share everything he remembered, Wade took a trip down memory lane without hesitation. And who wouldn’t want the full story behind these legends uniting? Wait, he recalled, “So I do. On July 4th, LeBron brought the conversation up to me on the phone, and I was like, ‘You are gonna play with me, bro?’ Like, I never thought LeBron and I were gonna play together.” 

Wade was thrilled at the idea of teaming up with LeBron. But what did James do to scare Flash? Wade and Chris both signed with the Miami Heat on July 7, and LeBron was supposed to follow the next day. Before that, on July 4, the trio had agreed they would pay together for Miami. But right after that conversation, The Heat number 3 then disclosed what scared him the most.

“I was little shocked as LeBron stopped answering his phone after July 4, so, you know, the reason I had to, making sure everything is good because this is a very tough decision.” Interesting! Parker was stunned to hear this and couldn’t help but ask what Wade did next. “So you double-texted? Did you triple-text?” she asked, making both of them burst into laughter. The Heat number 3 then admitted, “I ain’t wanna do too much, you know what I’m saying? I’m like, ‘Hey, we still good?’” But it turned out everything was fine, as LeBron was just chilling on the south beach. Phew!

Wade later shared this clip on his Instagram with a caption that left fans wondering: What if his worst fear had come true? He wrote, “Hello, anyone there 📞🤣”, perfectly capturing the tension and humor of that moment in NBA history. But Wade had to sacrifice a lot to make their team chemistry work on the court.

Dwyane Wade on the hard choices that made the ‘Big 3’ Work

When the Miami Heat formed the “Big Three” with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, expectations were sky-high. As it should be. Many believed they would dominate the league with ease. But Wade was drafted fifth overall in 2003 and he knew that without sacrifice, the experiment could fail. Understanding the need for balance, Wade was the first to take a step back. To fit one, another needs to make the sacrifice. Now LeBron had to be the team’s alpha, a role Wade had played his entire career.

In a conversation with former teammates Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem on The OGs podcast, he reflected on this transition. “I play a team sport. I had to understand that. You know, we talk about roles all the time. I’ve been a star player before. I need you to play your role for me to be my best. So here we go—you got to play a role now. What you willing to do, sir?” Wade said.

For years, he had been the Heat’s primary scorer and playmaker, asking legends like Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, and All-Star Antoine Walker to sacrifice for the team’s success. Now it was his turn.

Wade said, “It’s easy to be a conductor and tell people what to do—until you got to be a soldier and do it yourself,” Wade explained. “When it was time for me to be a soldier and do what I had to do to let the best player that we got in our gameplay and rock out, we figured it out so we could all win—I got out the way to be the best teammate I could be.” Wade’s willingness to adapt became the foundation of the Heat’s dominance, proving that even superstars have to make sacrifices to achieve greatness.