Double trouble: Dwyane Wade (left) and LeBron James share a joke during a preseason game against the Magic last week. AP PHOTONow they're closer than ever.And on the cusp of entering Year 2 together with the Heat, Wade and James opened up about their friendship Friday."I don't think many players that have the similar games as we have or have done the things that we did in the league can come together this fast and make it work," Wade said. "That communication is there. I don't mind him saying something to me. I don't mind when I have to say something to him. We know how to make it work."They have so much in common that both find it almost funny sometimes.Forget the obvious stuff: They're both among the NBA's highest-paid players, then make another truckload of money annually in endorsements. They're both among the league's best scorers, perennial All-Stars, among the most recognizable athletes in the world. What's often forgotten is the ties that really bind, like both having difficult times as kids, relying on one parent at a time and soon understanding that basketball was the vehicle for changing their lives.James is 203 cm, Wade is 193 cm. James is from Akron, Ohio, Wade from Chicago. James loves tattoos, Wade doesn't have any. James went to the NBA straight out of high school, Wade went to college first.Nonetheless, Wade and James basically look at each other as mirror images."That had a lot to do with me coming down here," James said. "There's nothing that I've seen that he hasn't seen, and vice versa. To be able to be alongside him, be with him every day and basically go through the same things on the court and off the court, it's great. Sometimes you're able to sit back and see things from a different perspective instead of everybody watching you."They take their cues from each other, whether it is fashion, workout regimens or just where to sit sometimes. For Friday's post-practice interview, Wade slid his body down a wall in a room adjacent to the Heat training facility, slumping to the floor."Tired," Wade said.Two minutes later, James entered the room. Even though he didn't see how Wade took his seat, he did the same thing, putting his back to the wall and sliding to the red carpet."Tired," James said.Maybe it's more than a coincidence."What's the saying? Iron sharpens iron. Greatness breeds greatness," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "So you see an example of that next to you. Those guys want to be challenged. Those guys like to be challenged. They do not accept the success that they've had and where they are right now. They're always trying to push to go to the next level. And there's no better way for them to do that than to have an equal peer next to them, pushing them."The biggest question when Wade, James and Chris Bosh teamed up in July 2010 was will it work?There have been bumps in the road, and likely there will be a few more — but they are making it work.James finished second in the league in scoring, Wade finished fourth. Since 1965, the only other time two teammates were among the NBA's top four scorers, and played for a team that went to the NBA Finals was 2001, when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal did it for the Los Angeles Lakers.Of course, Bryant and O'Neal won the title; Dallas beat Miami in last season's Finals. And James and Wade will get yet another reminder of that defeat Sunday when the Heat open their season against the Mavericks — and watch the new champs raise their title banner."For us, getting better is not necessarily going to show in our numbers," Wade said. "It's going to show in our leadership. It's going to show in those moments where we get in those games like the Finals where we're up 10 in the fourth quarter, how do we help our team get that win no matter what's going on in the game. It's more so that, not just how we score the ball, rebound, pass. We're going to have those numbers. It's the other things."
Showing posts with label brings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brings. Show all posts
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Close friendship brings out best in Heat's Wade, James
MIAMI — Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are known to bicker like brothers. They screamed at one another more than once during Miami Heat playoff games last season. And when they're on opposite teams in practice, they attack the other like they would any opponent.Double trouble: Dwyane Wade (left) and LeBron James share a joke during a preseason game against the Magic last week. AP PHOTONow they're closer than ever.And on the cusp of entering Year 2 together with the Heat, Wade and James opened up about their friendship Friday."I don't think many players that have the similar games as we have or have done the things that we did in the league can come together this fast and make it work," Wade said. "That communication is there. I don't mind him saying something to me. I don't mind when I have to say something to him. We know how to make it work."They have so much in common that both find it almost funny sometimes.Forget the obvious stuff: They're both among the NBA's highest-paid players, then make another truckload of money annually in endorsements. They're both among the league's best scorers, perennial All-Stars, among the most recognizable athletes in the world. What's often forgotten is the ties that really bind, like both having difficult times as kids, relying on one parent at a time and soon understanding that basketball was the vehicle for changing their lives.James is 203 cm, Wade is 193 cm. James is from Akron, Ohio, Wade from Chicago. James loves tattoos, Wade doesn't have any. James went to the NBA straight out of high school, Wade went to college first.Nonetheless, Wade and James basically look at each other as mirror images."That had a lot to do with me coming down here," James said. "There's nothing that I've seen that he hasn't seen, and vice versa. To be able to be alongside him, be with him every day and basically go through the same things on the court and off the court, it's great. Sometimes you're able to sit back and see things from a different perspective instead of everybody watching you."They take their cues from each other, whether it is fashion, workout regimens or just where to sit sometimes. For Friday's post-practice interview, Wade slid his body down a wall in a room adjacent to the Heat training facility, slumping to the floor."Tired," Wade said.Two minutes later, James entered the room. Even though he didn't see how Wade took his seat, he did the same thing, putting his back to the wall and sliding to the red carpet."Tired," James said.Maybe it's more than a coincidence."What's the saying? Iron sharpens iron. Greatness breeds greatness," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "So you see an example of that next to you. Those guys want to be challenged. Those guys like to be challenged. They do not accept the success that they've had and where they are right now. They're always trying to push to go to the next level. And there's no better way for them to do that than to have an equal peer next to them, pushing them."The biggest question when Wade, James and Chris Bosh teamed up in July 2010 was will it work?There have been bumps in the road, and likely there will be a few more — but they are making it work.James finished second in the league in scoring, Wade finished fourth. Since 1965, the only other time two teammates were among the NBA's top four scorers, and played for a team that went to the NBA Finals was 2001, when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal did it for the Los Angeles Lakers.Of course, Bryant and O'Neal won the title; Dallas beat Miami in last season's Finals. And James and Wade will get yet another reminder of that defeat Sunday when the Heat open their season against the Mavericks — and watch the new champs raise their title banner."For us, getting better is not necessarily going to show in our numbers," Wade said. "It's going to show in our leadership. It's going to show in those moments where we get in those games like the Finals where we're up 10 in the fourth quarter, how do we help our team get that win no matter what's going on in the game. It's more so that, not just how we score the ball, rebound, pass. We're going to have those numbers. It's the other things."
Double trouble: Dwyane Wade (left) and LeBron James share a joke during a preseason game against the Magic last week. AP PHOTONow they're closer than ever.And on the cusp of entering Year 2 together with the Heat, Wade and James opened up about their friendship Friday."I don't think many players that have the similar games as we have or have done the things that we did in the league can come together this fast and make it work," Wade said. "That communication is there. I don't mind him saying something to me. I don't mind when I have to say something to him. We know how to make it work."They have so much in common that both find it almost funny sometimes.Forget the obvious stuff: They're both among the NBA's highest-paid players, then make another truckload of money annually in endorsements. They're both among the league's best scorers, perennial All-Stars, among the most recognizable athletes in the world. What's often forgotten is the ties that really bind, like both having difficult times as kids, relying on one parent at a time and soon understanding that basketball was the vehicle for changing their lives.James is 203 cm, Wade is 193 cm. James is from Akron, Ohio, Wade from Chicago. James loves tattoos, Wade doesn't have any. James went to the NBA straight out of high school, Wade went to college first.Nonetheless, Wade and James basically look at each other as mirror images."That had a lot to do with me coming down here," James said. "There's nothing that I've seen that he hasn't seen, and vice versa. To be able to be alongside him, be with him every day and basically go through the same things on the court and off the court, it's great. Sometimes you're able to sit back and see things from a different perspective instead of everybody watching you."They take their cues from each other, whether it is fashion, workout regimens or just where to sit sometimes. For Friday's post-practice interview, Wade slid his body down a wall in a room adjacent to the Heat training facility, slumping to the floor."Tired," Wade said.Two minutes later, James entered the room. Even though he didn't see how Wade took his seat, he did the same thing, putting his back to the wall and sliding to the red carpet."Tired," James said.Maybe it's more than a coincidence."What's the saying? Iron sharpens iron. Greatness breeds greatness," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "So you see an example of that next to you. Those guys want to be challenged. Those guys like to be challenged. They do not accept the success that they've had and where they are right now. They're always trying to push to go to the next level. And there's no better way for them to do that than to have an equal peer next to them, pushing them."The biggest question when Wade, James and Chris Bosh teamed up in July 2010 was will it work?There have been bumps in the road, and likely there will be a few more — but they are making it work.James finished second in the league in scoring, Wade finished fourth. Since 1965, the only other time two teammates were among the NBA's top four scorers, and played for a team that went to the NBA Finals was 2001, when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal did it for the Los Angeles Lakers.Of course, Bryant and O'Neal won the title; Dallas beat Miami in last season's Finals. And James and Wade will get yet another reminder of that defeat Sunday when the Heat open their season against the Mavericks — and watch the new champs raise their title banner."For us, getting better is not necessarily going to show in our numbers," Wade said. "It's going to show in our leadership. It's going to show in those moments where we get in those games like the Finals where we're up 10 in the fourth quarter, how do we help our team get that win no matter what's going on in the game. It's more so that, not just how we score the ball, rebound, pass. We're going to have those numbers. It's the other things."
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Heat's Miller brings daughter home
MIAMI — Mike Miller is already celebrating, and the NBA Finals have not even started.The Heat forward and his wife brought home newborn daughter Jaelyn from a South Florida hospital on Saturday afternoon, about two weeks after the baby arrived. Jaelyn had spent some time in the pediatric intensive care unit with four holes in her heart — the condition is called a ventricular septal defect, Miller said — and is now doing much better.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Big 3 brings Heat within one win of reaching finals
Temperature's rising: Heat forward LeBron James backs down the Bulls' Ronnie Brewer during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday in Miami. The Heat took a 3-1 lead in the series with a 101-93 victory. APMIAMI — Dwyane Wade missed a dunk in the first quarter. He didn't score in the second half. He was slow at times, sluggish at others, barely a factor for long stretches of the game.That is, until it mattered most.The Big Three is one win away from playing for the NBA's biggest prize, and all three had a huge hand in putting the Miami Heat on that doorstep.LeBron James scored 35 points, Chris Bosh added 22 and Wade perked up to block as many shots — two — as Chicago made in overtime, as the Heat topped the Bulls 101-93 in a scintillating Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the series."You could tell that neither team wanted to lose," Wade said. "Both teams were clawing. If you're a fan of the game, this was a great basketball game. . . . This was will."Miami will go for the clincher Thursday in Chicago, where the Heat can wrap up their first finals trip since 2006."It's one game away," James said. "We're not taking anything for granted."Derrick Rose scored 23 points for the Bulls, who got 20 apiece from Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer. Chicago has lost three straight games for the first time this season, and afterward, the league's reigning MVP pointed the finger of blame at himself."It's not over," said Rose, who shot 8 of 27 and turned the ball over seven times.Still, some doubt may be creeping in. Chicago had its chances, and knew it, but was unable to take advantage of a largely off night by Wade. Rose was guarded in the game's biggest minutes by James, and the MVP past had the upper hand against the MVP present."It's extremely hard," Rose acknowledged, "when a 6-8 (203-cm) guy can easily defend you."The Heat were down by 11 early, led for only 4? minutes in the third and fourth quarters, and had Wade stuck on eight points from late in the second quarter until past the midpoint of overtime.Somehow, it wasn't a problem. A sleep-deprived Mike Miller — whose wife delivered a baby last week — scored 12 points and made plenty of key defensive plays to help Miami outscore Chicago by a whopping 36 points with him on the floor.And the stars, well, were stars."We know offensively, at times, we have rough stretches," James said. "But we give ourselves chances to win every game because we defend."James was 11-for-26 from the field and 13-for-13 — his best playoff showing ever — from the foul line. Bosh was aggressive again, making 10 of his 11 free throws. Miami made its last 24 straight from the stripe, and the defense was again the biggest key of all."Defense is the reason that we're here," Bosh said. "Defense is the reason that we win every game. And defense is the reason why we have a chance of winning Game 5."From the Miami perspective, this game will be remembered for how the Heat rallied around Wade — then watched him save his best for last."We reminded him in one of the final huddles, this is his time," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.The 2006 NBA Finals MVP was in the arena late Monday night, trying to work on some things in one of his customary playoff after-dark sessions.Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. This seemed like it would be the latter.Whatever answer he sought, he didn't find for much of Game 4. Wade made just 5 of 16 shots from the field, lacking his usual lift at the rim. He made a pair of free throws with 1:50 left in the first half for his seventh and eighth points, and didn't score again until overtime.Better late than never."Hey, they're a great team," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "They compete. They play hard. They play great defense . . . and they made plays at the end."
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