LeBron James: I’ve always wanted to face Dwyane Wade in playoffs

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat still have a long way to go before they reach the Eastern Conference finals, but it’s hard not to think ahead to how entertaining a Cavs-Heat playoff series would be. Heck, even LeBron James has given it some thought.

After Wednesday’s shootaround, LeBron admitted that he has thought about playing his former team in the postseason since he returned to Cleveland.

“Naturally, of course,” he said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “That’s since I’ve came back. It’d be great to play against those guys in the postseason.

“Throughout my whole career, I’ve always wanted to go against [Dwyane] Wade in a playoff series. We’ve always talked about it even before we became teammates in ’10. It’s not been heavy on my mind, but it’s crossed my mind throughout my whole career.”

LeBron and Wade are very close friends, and they have maintained that friendship even with James now playing for the Cavs. Wade looks like he has found the fountain of youth this postseason, averaging 19.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists while carrying Miami past the Charlotte Hornets with Chris Bosh watching from the sidelines. Given the level the two are currently playing at, a LeBron vs. Wade series could be highly entertaining.

“Anytime one of my best friends is able to go out there and perform the way he performs, it’s definitely motivating,” LeBron said of Wade. “I was looking forward to Game 1 [against Toronto] after watching him in Game 6, you know, the way he was able to close that game out.”

Both the Heat and Cavs have a 1-0 lead in their respective Eastern Conference semifinal series. Regardless of what happens, you can bet on LeBron and D-Wade having plenty of fun togehter this offseason. We all saw the shenanigans they got into last time.