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Published 11:35 IST, June 4th 2020

LeBron James and I were close to joining Chicago Bulls in 2010: Dwyane Wade

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade were close to signing for Chicago Bulls in 2010 along with Toronto Raptor's Chris Bosh.

Reported by: Sreehari Menon
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Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade reveals that he along with LeBron James were close to joining the Chicago Bulls ahead of their eventual trade to the Heat. The Chicago Bulls, who mightily fell from grace after their famous 'The Last Dance' season in 1997/98, were looking to sign the trio of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh in a bid to revitalise their legacy. While LeBron and Wade were quite interested in a move to the Windy City, it never materialised and they moved to Miami Heat, with the rest being history.

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LeBron James Bulls trade: Wade reveals trio was close to signing for Chicago in 2010

In 2010, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were unrestricted free agents and decided to play together, developing a thick bond very early in their playing days. The duo were joined by Chris Bosh, whose contract at the Toronto Raptors ended. The trio, who were part of the 2003 Draft Class, wanted to play in a team together and form a ‘Big 3’ in a team that would embrace their talents all together. Chicago Bulls, who had long fallen from the standards set by Michael Jordan, seemed like the likely destination. However, the deal never happened and the trio joined Miami Heat, reaching four consecutive NBA finals and winning two of those.

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Speaking of their failed 2010 move to the Chicago Bulls, Dwyane Wade stated that it was tempting to switch to Chicago due to their young roster, However, once Miami Heat expressed that they could sign all three together, that changed the dynamic of the summer. Wade reveals that the Chicago Bulls could sign only two of the three stars and were figuring out a combination which ideally was one between him and LeBron James.

However, when Chicago pulled out, Miami cashed in and reaped rewards. Dwyane Wade reveals that it was his and LeBron James' desire to play for the Chicago Bulls, loving the city's vibe and viability alike in general.

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LeBron James Bulls trade: Partnership with Derrick Rose wouldn't have worked out according to Wade

While the Dwyane Wade-LeBron James pair did materialise, the NBA missed out on an iconic LeBron James-Derrick Rose pairing. Rose won the MVP award the same season LeBron and Wade joined the Heat and it might have been an extremely iconic line-up, had the trio joined the Chicago Bulls. However, Wade reveals that LeBron and himself had clear intentions about playing with Derrick Rose. Rose, like Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, needed the ball in his hands to dominate and the duo thought it wouldn’t have worked out for them.

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11:35 IST, June 4th 2020