After spending the better part of five seasons with LeBron James as a member of the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers, there’s a general assumption Dwyane Wade knows where James, his best friend, will sign once he becomes a free agent this summer. Nothing about recent comments Wade allegedly made to a reporter indicate James will be signing with the Knicks.
Dwyane Wade laughed when asked by a New York reporter about the billboard outside of Madison Square Garden recruiting LeBron James to the Knicks: "Good luck,” he said.
“Dwyane Wade laughed when asked by a New York reporter about the billboard outside of Madison Square Garden recruiting LeBron James to the Knicks: “Good luck,” he said,” ESPN’s Ian Begley tweeted Friday. Begley, who also covers the struggling Knicks, would be about a credible source as anyone on the matter.
The Knicks, Lakers, 76ers and pretty much any other team with at least one maximum salary slot are all expected to compete for James’ services this offseason. Several of the aforementioned teams have seen groups of fans take their thirst to new levels by attempting to court James with billboards.
NYC Ads Co. co-opted James’ “King of New York” Instagram post into a recruiting pitch with their billboard, essentially asking James to “prove it,” by signing with the team.
The Knicks’ history with James adds some pretty basic context as to why LeBron’s best friend and fellow Banana Boat passenger would literally laugh at the prospect of King James in a Knicks uniform.
In 2010, James did reportedly meet with the Knicks before ultimately turning them down to sign with the Heat.
Former Knicks President Phil Jackson didn’t exactly do the Knicks any favors with his 2016 decision to refer to James’ business partners as his “posse.” At best, the comment was problematic, and at worst it was kind of racist. James and his inner circle have gone on record with their belief it was the latter.
It also doesn’t help matters that Knicks owner James Dolan was on the wrong side of a feud with former Knick Charles Oakley in 2017. LeBron’s subliminal Instagram post made it clear where he stood on the matter.
Add it all up, and Wade’s response makes perfect sense.
