Apparently, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra thought Dwyane Wade was out of his mind choosing to play in Cleveland.
The Heat will officially retire Wade's No. 3 jersey during their matchup against the Cavaliers on Saturday night, but on Friday, Miami held a “Flashback Event” (a play on Wade's nickname) to honor the shooting guard.
During the ceremony, Spoelstra spoke about how Wade left the Heat for the Chicago Bulls during the summer of 2016, which he said just didn't look right.
But that wasn't as devastating for Spoelstra as watching Wade don a Cavs jersey:
Erik Spoelstra couldn’t believe Dwyane Wade signed with Chicago and went on to play for Cleveland 😂
(🎥 via @MiamiHEAT) https://t.co/qkaKkRiRNq
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) February 22, 2020
Wade signed with the Cavaliers in September 2017 after agreeing to a buyout with the Bulls, and apparently, that experience was so bad for Spoelstra that he figured the Heat owed it to Wade to rescue him from Cleveland at the trade deadline that ensuing season.
Article Continues BelowThe Wade experiment did not exactly work out for the Cavs, as he struggled to find a role in his 46 games with the club. He averaged 11.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists over 23.2 minutes per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor, 32.9 percent from three-point range and 70.1 percent from the free-throw line. What was supposed to be a triumphant reunion with LeBron James failed to get off the ground.
The Cavaliers then traded him to the Heat at the deadline, as both Cleveland and Wade knew it wasn't working.
To be fair to Wade, he joined the Cavs because James was playing for them at the time, and with the Cavaliers being title contenders, he decided to link up with his friend for another run at a title.
It was certainly strange to see, and clearly, Spoelstra still has not gotten over it. It all worked out in the end, however, as Wade retired a member of the Heat.