Dwyane Wade chose his words carefully.
The 34-year-old is as well-versed in the media game as any player in the Association, having a full understanding of social media, comments taken out of context, and what drives “article hits,’’ as he calls them.
So when discussing on Thursday the four years he played with the best current player living on the planet in LeBron James, his praise of that time was heart-felt. The bromance was real.
When asked if he could ever foresee a reunion where the two would team up once again, that’s where 14 years of experience kicked in, as Wade wasn’t about to start throwing chum in those waters.
“You know what, that’s the one thing I learned in this league first of all is I never thought I would play with LeBron,’’ Wade said. “I mean I enjoyed the All-Star Games, I enjoyed the Olympics, but I never thought that we would play together. That’s why I look at it now, at young guys and what they say, because you never know what the future is going to hold for you. So keep your comments to yourself on the future.
“So I will keep my comments on myself for whatever. For me, I’m here and I’m happy to be here, but I was happy in Miami as well. It just happened. You never know what’s going to happen in this game, so people should never say never or anything.
“That’s not saying that I want to play with LeBron. Let me clearly say that. I’m not saying that I want to be somewhere that I’m not. That’s not saying it at all, but also I understand how this league works, how this thing goes, and people need to know just don’t say nothing.’’
It was one of the few topics concerning James that Wade was guarded on.
Friday can’t be understated in Wade’s world.
His good friend, and former teammate, is coming to town, and oh by the way bringing a World Championship squad with him, as well as paying on a World Series bet in which James will be wearing a full Cubs uniform.
Wade wouldn’t divulge the details of that uniform, only insisting that James was a “stand-up guy, so he’s going to let you guys get your moment, everyone is going to get their moment. I’m going to have my camera crew out there too.’’
Bigger than that, though, Wade is admittedly using the Friday game as a measuring stick to see where his new Bulls teammates are, especially after a disappointing loss to the Lakers on Wednesday.
“I won’t be one of those cliché athletes to say it’s just another game,’’ Wade said. “I just enjoy it more. Simple as that. I enjoy playing against LeBron more than anybody else just because of the things I know he’s going to bring to the game. Great people bring greatness out of you. He’s always done that for me and vice versa. I think I’ve done it for him. So I’ve always enjoyed it.
“You can say what you want about anybody else around the league, but they are the measuring stick. And any team that LeBron has played on the last thousand years has been a measuring stick for the most part in the Eastern Conference, so for us coming off a bad loss for us, I want to see how we respond as a team.’’
Because more than anyone else, Wade knows how James is going to respond.
“He’s arguably one of the top three to five players to ever play the game,’’ Wade said. “And he’s not done playing yet.’’
