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LAS VEGAS — Dwyane Wade said he knew it was the right time when he walked away from the NBA. The Miami Heat icon said that is why he appreciates it is not that time for former Heat teammate LeBron James, who is in play for the Heat and several other suitors during NBA free agency.
“We just should appreciate what I’m and we all are witnessing, because we’ve never seen this before,” Wade said on his podcast network. “It has to suck a little bit to get to this point in your career and still be really good.
“Like I got to a point in my career and I was like, ‘Well, I’m not that good anymore. Like I can still play. I can still go play right now and still be able to play, but I won’t be that good.’ So it was easy for me to decide to walk away.”
Wade retired from the NBA as a member of the Heat in 2019, at 37. James is 41 and coming off an All-Star season, with the NBA awaiting the decision of where he chooses to play next.
“It’s hard to make that decision when you’re still really (expletive) good,” Wade continued. “Like who walks away when you’re really, really good? Only a few. There ain’t a lot of Barry Sanders, who just walk away when they’re really, really good.”
With James still part of ongoing Greatest of All-Time debates, Wade said there is no reason his former Heat championship teammate shouldn’t be fielding offers to remain in the game.
“And you’re talking about a guy who’s been doing this his entire life,” Wade said. “This is what he knows better than anyone since he’s been playing this game. He’s become this generation’s GOAT, and so how do you walk away from being a GOAT when you’re still a GOAT?”
Another prime James suitor is the Cleveland Cavaliers, which would mean a return to James’ home area and a team he guided to the 2016 NBA title.
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said during the ongoing NBA Summer League that it only makes sense that NBA free agency has been put on hold as the league awaits a James decision,
“Listen,” Atkinson said during a SiriusXM appearance, “this is an exciting time for us, right? Like, we’re in the mix for the greatest player of all time, my personal opinion. So, it’s exciting, right? Like, man, I think you’re nervous, but we understand how it is. Obviously he’s earned that right to take his time.”
While there has been silence from inside the Heat, the recruiting has been more public elsewhere, including a pitch from Golden State forward Draymond Green, with the Warriors mentioned as a team on James’ list.
“I’d be remiss if I don’t take the opportunity to throw my pitch in there,” Green said on his podcast, with the two having spent time together recently. “I’d be crazy if we’re together for X-amount of days and at no point am I like ‘Yo, we need to chop it up, what the hell is going on? What are we doing?’ Of course I did that and of course the pitch was crazy. I think I’m pretty decent at it.”
Former Heat guard Gary Payton, during an interview with the Action Networkaddressed the Heat-James link, as well as the ability of Heat President Pat Riley to fill out a contending roster.
“I think Miami is in a good space, ” said Payton, a member of the Heat’s 2006 championship team. “I think Pat Riley does a great job of just taking his time and being patient, and then patience to do what he has to do. He pulled the deal off and got Giannis (Antetokounmpo), re-signed Andrew Wiggins, and now all he has to do is put it together. I think they need another point guard and another little scorer, and I think if they get that one more scorer, I think they’ll be OK and legit.”
The Warriors’ Green also chimed in on Saturday’s practice-court tussle in Las Vegas between Heat center Bam Adebayo and just-dealt former Heat guard Tyler Herro.
Green noted how Udonis Haslem, now a Heat player-development executive, had chimed in when Green punched then-Warriors teammate Jordan Poole during a 2022 Golden State practice, but how Haslem had not commented on Adebayo’s contact with Herro.
“When I first saw this, I was like ‘damn,’ ” Green said. “This is two guys Udonis Haslem raised. If you raised this young guy in the light of what you was saying about me, and now he punches this other young guy, that y’all kind of co-raised, are you going to have that same energy?”
Haslem caught wind of Green’s comment, and clapped back on social media, after noting Green was 32 at the time of his incident, with, “First of all Bam is 28. Tyler is 26. Neither one of them got it all figured out yet. Maybe I was giving you too much credit at the time cause I thought you did so that’s why I commented (in 2022).”
Haslem, who was succeeded by Adebayo as Heat captain, continued in his post to Green about the general overreaction to Saturday’s contact by Adebayo to Herro, “Anyone who knows Bam knows he’s strong as a baby bear. If he would’ve unloaded on Tyler 100% it’s over.”
No action of yet has been taken by the NBA or the Heat regarding the incident at the temporary practice facility at the hotel many teams are sharing during the Las Vegas NBA Summer League.
Continue reading...
“We just should appreciate what I’m and we all are witnessing, because we’ve never seen this before,” Wade said on his podcast network. “It has to suck a little bit to get to this point in your career and still be really good.
“Like I got to a point in my career and I was like, ‘Well, I’m not that good anymore. Like I can still play. I can still go play right now and still be able to play, but I won’t be that good.’ So it was easy for me to decide to walk away.”
Wade retired from the NBA as a member of the Heat in 2019, at 37. James is 41 and coming off an All-Star season, with the NBA awaiting the decision of where he chooses to play next.
“It’s hard to make that decision when you’re still really (expletive) good,” Wade continued. “Like who walks away when you’re really, really good? Only a few. There ain’t a lot of Barry Sanders, who just walk away when they’re really, really good.”
With James still part of ongoing Greatest of All-Time debates, Wade said there is no reason his former Heat championship teammate shouldn’t be fielding offers to remain in the game.
“And you’re talking about a guy who’s been doing this his entire life,” Wade said. “This is what he knows better than anyone since he’s been playing this game. He’s become this generation’s GOAT, and so how do you walk away from being a GOAT when you’re still a GOAT?”
Another prime James suitor is the Cleveland Cavaliers, which would mean a return to James’ home area and a team he guided to the 2016 NBA title.
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said during the ongoing NBA Summer League that it only makes sense that NBA free agency has been put on hold as the league awaits a James decision,
“Listen,” Atkinson said during a SiriusXM appearance, “this is an exciting time for us, right? Like, we’re in the mix for the greatest player of all time, my personal opinion. So, it’s exciting, right? Like, man, I think you’re nervous, but we understand how it is. Obviously he’s earned that right to take his time.”
While there has been silence from inside the Heat, the recruiting has been more public elsewhere, including a pitch from Golden State forward Draymond Green, with the Warriors mentioned as a team on James’ list.
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“I’d be remiss if I don’t take the opportunity to throw my pitch in there,” Green said on his podcast, with the two having spent time together recently. “I’d be crazy if we’re together for X-amount of days and at no point am I like ‘Yo, we need to chop it up, what the hell is going on? What are we doing?’ Of course I did that and of course the pitch was crazy. I think I’m pretty decent at it.”
Former Heat guard Gary Payton, during an interview with the Action Networkaddressed the Heat-James link, as well as the ability of Heat President Pat Riley to fill out a contending roster.
“I think Miami is in a good space, ” said Payton, a member of the Heat’s 2006 championship team. “I think Pat Riley does a great job of just taking his time and being patient, and then patience to do what he has to do. He pulled the deal off and got Giannis (Antetokounmpo), re-signed Andrew Wiggins, and now all he has to do is put it together. I think they need another point guard and another little scorer, and I think if they get that one more scorer, I think they’ll be OK and legit.”
UD on Tyler vs. Bam
The Warriors’ Green also chimed in on Saturday’s practice-court tussle in Las Vegas between Heat center Bam Adebayo and just-dealt former Heat guard Tyler Herro.
Green noted how Udonis Haslem, now a Heat player-development executive, had chimed in when Green punched then-Warriors teammate Jordan Poole during a 2022 Golden State practice, but how Haslem had not commented on Adebayo’s contact with Herro.
“When I first saw this, I was like ‘damn,’ ” Green said. “This is two guys Udonis Haslem raised. If you raised this young guy in the light of what you was saying about me, and now he punches this other young guy, that y’all kind of co-raised, are you going to have that same energy?”
Haslem caught wind of Green’s comment, and clapped back on social media, after noting Green was 32 at the time of his incident, with, “First of all Bam is 28. Tyler is 26. Neither one of them got it all figured out yet. Maybe I was giving you too much credit at the time cause I thought you did so that’s why I commented (in 2022).”
Haslem, who was succeeded by Adebayo as Heat captain, continued in his post to Green about the general overreaction to Saturday’s contact by Adebayo to Herro, “Anyone who knows Bam knows he’s strong as a baby bear. If he would’ve unloaded on Tyler 100% it’s over.”
No action of yet has been taken by the NBA or the Heat regarding the incident at the temporary practice facility at the hotel many teams are sharing during the Las Vegas NBA Summer League.
Continue reading...
