Did LeBron James hint at Dwyane Wade retiring?

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will have a connection that lasts a lifetime.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have a complicated history. They came into the league at the same moment and were opponents for years, but Wade helped his friend to a first NBA championship.

The two separated once James decided he should return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Wade joined LeBron there over the summer. The experiment didn’t last long with Dwyane returning to the Miami Heat once his role was reduced to a bench player.

The Heat beat the Cavaliers 98-79 on Tuesday night at home, and the friends embraced after the game like it might have been the last time.

“At the end of the game, we just kind of had that moment like 15 years strong — as brothers, as teammates, as competitors, as teammates again, as competitors again,” James said to the Sun Sentinel. “But our brotherhood is beyond this game of basketball. You just don’t take for granted. You just don’t know. We’ll see what happens in the summer.”

Wade will be a free agent this offseason, and it’s unclear whether or not he’ll retire. He still has enough in the tank to contribute; however, there could be physical effects to playing this late into life.

Wade blocked two of James’ shots during the game, which was a joy to see. They are both close off the court, but on the hardwood it is all about winning.

Next: Which NBA players can help you survive the zombie apocalypse?

Did LeBron embrace Wade for the final time as fellow players on Tuesday? Only time will tell. It’s possible their respective teams could face in the playoffs. But it has been a lot of fun to watch them grow together, and hopefully we haven’t seen the last of them on the court.