Now that he has officially signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade wanted to take a few moments to thank his native Chicago, the Bulls organization, and their great fans.
In his heartfelt personal letter, Wade, now 35 years of age, explained that it was always a dream to play for his hometown team, saying: “I’ve always dreamed of playing for the Chicago Bulls and I feel so fortunate to have fulfilled my dream this past year.”
“In the hopes of pursuing a fourth championship, I’ve reached a deal with the Chicago Bulls and I am excited to share that I will be joining the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. There’s no better place to be right now to continue to play and compete at the highest level. Cleveland believes in my talents and what I can bring to a championship contender both as a player and leader. I look forward to reuniting and playing alongside my brother LeBron. We’ve already won two championships together and I hope we win a third.”
AP Photo | Lynne Sladky
As he said in his statement, Wade, who is reuniting with his long-time friend in LeBron James, will now look to claim a fourth Larry O’Brien trophy. While he admits that it was a difficult decision to leave the Bulls, Wade feels that the Cavs give him the best opportunity to compete at the NBA’s highest level.
Wade, a 13-time NBA All Star, will be a great addition to the Cavs’ back-court rotation. In his 60 games played for the Bulls last season, the 12-time NBA All Star averaged 18.3 points on 43 percent shooting from the field, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals in 29.9 minutes per contest.
Wade’s first meeting with his former team will be on Oct. 10, during the preseason. The first regular-season matchup between the Bulls and Cavs comes just two weeks later.
In his closing remarks, Wade stated that Chicago will always be his home. Now, with the start of the 2017-18 NBA season less than one month away, the city of Cleveland is set to welcome him with open arms.