The parting of ways between Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat was anything but amicable, and it is clear that one man is ultimately responsible for that.
Pat Riley.
Wade will return to Miami for the first time as a visiting player on Thursday. In an interview with Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com, the Chicago Bulls star said he has no hard feelings toward the Heat but admitted he has not spoken with Riley since free agency began over the summer.
“I’ve kept in touch from everybody there besides Pat. From the owners on down,” Wade said. “It’s nothing but respect, and I have no hard feelings. I understand what Pat is, he’s a competitor. I’ve been knowing him for 13 years so I expect no different.
“People might not believe me, but I have no hard feelings toward Pat. Everything happened the way it was supposed to happen, everything happens for a reason, so I’m fine.”
Riley had a very clear list of priorities heading into last offseason, and Wade was third on that list. You could argue that re-signing Hassan Whiteside and pursuing Kevin Durant were equally important, but it became clear that Riley was not afraid to lose Wade. The Heat president likely believed Wade’s best days were behind him, regardless of how important the 34-year-old has been to the franchise.
Still, Wade insists he holds no ill will toward his former boss.
“Life is too short to be holding grudges. At the end of the day, Pat has helped me become a very rich man,” he said. “Me and Pat have won championships together. We’ve both helped each other’s legacies. I love that guy. I know how he is. He’s stubborn just like I am.”
Riley is known for his all-business approach, and it’s that mentality that has resulted in another Heat star clashing with him recently. Wade was not naive enough to think he would be the exception, as he saw the relationship between Riley and Shaquille O’Neal go south years ago. That’s simply the way it goes in Miami.
