Dwyane Wade says he loves Pat Riley, it’s a business

Dwyane Wade left the Miami Heat for the Chicago Bulls this past week, and contrary to popular belief, does not hate Pat Riley.

The Miami Heat lost the face of their franchise this past week, as 13-year superstar Dwyane Wade bolted South Beach for the Windy City. Wade, who is from Chicago, won three championships with the Heat, including back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013.

During this free agency period, Heat team president Pat Riley said re-signing Wade was a priority for the organization, though he never actually met with the star. The franchise offered Wade a 2year/$40 million dollar deal, which he turned down. Instead, Wade signed a 2year/$47 million dollar deal with the Bulls, leaving the organization he spent his entire career with.

The talk of his departure has been that he had an icy relationship with Riley, who also coach Wade early in his Miami Heat career. Speaking at his camp, Wade explained how he actually feels about his former coach, and it was not what most people expected.

“It’s going to be a lot of stuff said about me and Pat. First of all, I love Pat. He has a job to do. He has a different hat to wear,” Wade told reporters at his youth basketball camp in downtown Miami. “That hat sometimes is not to be my best friend. That hat is to be the president of the organization and to be a businessman, and that sucks.”

It appears Wade understands that sometimes Riley has to make decisions based on business, and not on the heart. Wade followed his heart to Chicago, and now Riley and the rest of the Heat front office will have to replace a player who means so much to the fans.

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