There were no bad vibes for Dwyane Wade in South Beach on Friday night. It was all cheers and a standing ovation on behalf of fans at American Airlines Arena.
In the middle of the second quarter, a few days after being traded back to his former team thanks to a revamp of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Wade took the court and got the warmest welcome from those in attendance. He said after the game that the energy in the building felt like “playoff atmosphere,” though the “We want Wade!” chants came a little too early for his liking.
That moment in the middle of the court as he checked into the game and got showered with love must have been special for him.
D-Wade only finished with 3 points off the bench in 22 minutes of play, when he knocked down that three pointer towards the end of the first quarter. However, he did score 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals on the night.
His return in Miami has already been felt, as the organization has been making a killing off the jersey sales. Wade’s Vice Uniform City Edition jerseys was put up for sale and team merchandise sales increased 8000% because of it. And that’s just over the past two days.
The Miami Heat are hoping Wade can play some clutch minutes in those close games down the stretch of the season, as they try to hold on to the 7th spot in the Eastern Conference.
Welcome home Wade County.
OS REWIND: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade Speak on Friendship, Life in Cleveland