NBA
Will Dwayne Wade Be Rooting for His Former Team or His Best Friend in the 2020 NBA Finals?
Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies. When Jack isn't writing about sports, he's watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He's also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.
Get to know Jack Dougherty betterPublished30 Sep 2020
Dwayne Wade is not in an enviable spot heading into the 2020 NBA Finals.
His former team, the Miami Heat, has made it to the Finals for the first time since 2014. On the other side, Wade’s best friend and ex-teammate, LeBron James, will try to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to their first title since 2010.
The Heat and Lakers had to have been Wade’s two favorite teams to root for this season as he enjoys retirement, but now he’s found himself in a conundrum. Who will he root for in the 2020 NBA Finals?
Dwayne Wade played 15 seasons with the Miami Heat
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Wade is synonymous with the Heat. He spent the first 13 years of his professional career with Miami, and he had the greatest run a single player has in franchise history.
Wade made 12 straight All-Star teams with the Heat from 2005-2016. He made eight All-NBA teams during that stretch and won the scoring title in 2008-09.
Before LeBron James even crashed the party in Miami, Wade won a title and a Finals MVP in 2006. Wade won two more championships for the Heat after James joined the team in 2010. James might’ve been the most famous player on the team at the time, but Wade was always the fan-favorite in Miami, and he still is.
After spending a few seasons in other cities, Wade returned to Miami to finish off his career in 2018. He made his 13th All-Star game last year thanks to some generous fan voting, but that just shows how much the NBA community adored Wade during his career.
Miami is Wade’s family, so he’ll be rooting for the Heat for the rest of his retired life.
Wade and LeBron James are best friends off the court
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Wade and James’ relationship goes far beyond the basketball court. The two future Hall of Famers were in the same draft class in 2003, and they’ve been good friends ever since.
From enjoying a glass of wine with the wives to the banana boat with Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony to winning two titles together, Wade and James are inseparable.
Wade has to be rooting for his pal to get another ring in 2020, but the problem is, he’ll have to beat Wade’s former team to do it.
Wade revealed who he’ll be rooting for in the 2020 NBA Finals
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When James clinched an NBA Finals berth with the Lakers last week, Wade was ecstatic for his best buddy. Wade knows he doesn’t have many winning years left, so he needs to make the most of them.
Similarly, when the Heat beat the Celtics to clinch their spot in the Finals, Wade must’ve been over the moon for his favorite team. Then, reality set in. Who was he going to root for in the Finals, his former team, or his best friend? Magic Johnson had the same question.
“The million dollar question is who will Dwayne Wade be cheering for?? His former team, the Heat, or his best friend LeBron James?” Johnson asked on Twitter.
Wade was quick to respond, and he answer shouldn’t surprise you.
“We call this a win/win, but it’s #HeatNation over here!” Wade responded.
