On Monday night, LeBron James led his Los Angeles Lakers to a three-point win over Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. While the game was a nice win for the Lakers, that was not the true story of this meeting. After leading the Heat to four straight NBA title game appearances, LeBron and Dwyane will forever be linked in history as teammates and friends. The fact that they came into the NBA together and became close friends at the NBA Combine tells a story all its own.

After the game, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were both emotional and embraced for the last time as opponents on an NBA court.

They exchanged jerseys and celebrated a historic career of playing alongside each other in the NBA. After the game, Dwyane was still emotional and spoke about what LeBron meant to him as well as leaving a heartfelt message on Twitter for his brother.

Wade honors his friendship with LeBron

Dwyane Wade will retire at the end of this season, ending one of the best NBA careers in the last decade. While LeBron James will continue on as one of the best in the game, Wade will just watch as a fan after this season comes to an end After the Los Angeles Lakers knocked off the Miami Heat in a close game, Wade reflected on their relationship.

When talking about "ud40," he referred to Udonis Haslem, the longest-tenured member of the Miami Heat. Before the game, Wade said that his two closest friends in the NBA was Haslem and LeBron and he got to share the court with both of them last night in the Staples Center.

As Dwyane Wade humorously said, he loves both LeBron James and Udonis Haslem like a "fat kid loves cake."

The legacy of Dwyane Wade

When the game ended, LeBron James said that the entire NBA will miss Dwyane Wade as part of its roster.

What Dwyane has meant to the NBA goes beyond just his numbers. On the court, he led the Heat to an NBA title before he ever teamed with LeBron. With James in Miami, they changed the game.

Off the court, Dwyane proved that a good man could be a role model and a star player. He also meant a lot to many younger players. One of LeBron's new teammates proved that after the game with the Lakers and Heat on Monday night.

Josh Hart approached Dwyane Wade following the game and asked for the shoes from his feet. Hart told Wade that he wears the No. 3 in honor of him and that he patterned his entire career after the Miami Heat superstar, calling him his childhood favorite. Dwyane obliged LeBron James' young teammate and said that he loves the way he plays the game and said that Hart reminds him of himself.
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