Dwyane Wade says he could tell LeBron James was leaving from his body language
Prior to the night LeBron James announced his decision to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers through Sports Illustrated, it was reported by several members of the media that he and former teammate Dwyane Wade were on a plane to Miami together after spending time in Las Vegas. Several conclusions were drawn.
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Was he returning?
Is he telling Wade he won’t return?
According to Dwyane Wade who has finally spoken to the media on the issue, James didn’t tell Wade on the plane. Instead, he could tell from his friends body language which decision he was going to make:
"When he and LeBron James shared a flight from Las Vegas last month, he could tell there was something different about his former teammate.All it took was noticing James’ body language.“Yeah, I went to sleep knowing,” Wade said Friday before his annual Fantasy Basketball Camp at the Westin Diplomat Hotel. “He called me the next day. But I knew then. Obviously he still had to say the final yay or nay, but I knew. I could tell.”"
James’ approach to this is a bit odd, but you can see why he struggled to tell one of his best friends. If the timelines are correct, by the time James and Wade were on this plane, the SI letter that shocked the world was already drawn up. It wasn’t a matter of having a final say on the matter; the deed was done.
From Wade’s demeanor in the quote, it doesn’t seem that James’ and Wade’s friendship was fractured in any way. What happened was apart of the business–as a free agent, James did what he felt was best for his career and his family. Together, the two won two of the last four NBA championships. Now, separated, they’ll embark on the next chapter in their basketball careers.