During an appearance on The OGs Show, NBA legend Dwyane Wade opened up about a pivotal turning point in his career, and in league history. Wade revealed that during the 2010 offseason, he was fully prepared to sign with his hometown Chicago Bulls, until a surprise phone call from LeBron James changed everything.
“I’m not thinking about playing with him,” Wade said of LeBron. “I love our matchups. Then I got a call…”
At the time, Wade had spent seven seasons with the Miami Heat, winning a championship and establishing himself as one of the league’s premier shooting guards. But the allure of returning to Chicago and teaming up with Derrick Rose, then the league’s rising star, was strong. Wade admitted,
“I was like, man, I’m going back home. I’m going to Chicago”.
Dwyane Wade planned on going to the Bulls and was shocked when LeBron James called him to team up on the Heat
“I’m not thinking about playing with him (LeBron), I love our matchups. Then I got a call (from him)”
(Via @theOGsShow, h/t @Jacobtheclipper)
pic.twitter.com/6zy46x4wvb— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) August 5, 2025
However, that call from LeBron, along with a strategic pitch involving their agents, revealed that the Heat had quietly cleared enough cap space to sign three star players. That conversation led to the formation of the iconic Big Three: Wade, James, and Chris Bosh.
The trio would go on to dominate the NBA, leading Miami to four straight Finals appearances and winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. The move also helped usher in the modern player empowerment era, where stars began to take control of their destinies and form superteams.
