Carmelo Anthony recently opened up about the departure of Dwayne Wade from the Miami Heat. According to the Team USA and New York Knicks player, he was surprised to hear that Wade will be joining the Chicago Bulls.
Like fans of the league, Anthony was also shocked by Wade's decision. After all, ever since Wade debuted in the NBA in 2003, he's been with Miami. For over 10 years, he has been considered as one of the pillars of the team.
But, the end of an era came earlier in July after Wade wrote an open letter to Miami. In the letter, which was published by the Associated Press, Wade formally announced his decision to join the Chicago franchise.
Like what Kevin Durant went through after joining the Golden State Warriors, Wade faced a wave of criticisms and comments from both his fans and peers. For Anthony though, even though it was a surprising move, he still respects his friend's decision.
"I was shocked," he told reports during Team USA's practice at Chicago's United Center according to ESPN. "I was shocked more from a standpoint it was just hard to see. It's hard to see some players in different uniforms and he's one of those guys who I never thought would see in a different uniform other than Miami."
"But it happened, and I got a chance to talk to him and sit down with him and really dig deep about his feelings and what happened," Anthony added. "He's at peace now. And when he's at peace, I'm at peace with it."
Fans may never know the exact reason why Wade decided to change teams after a very long time but like what other players did in the NBA, such as Durant, it's probably related to what he believes would be good for his career.
As for Anthony, he and the rest of Team USA just came from a dominating win against Team China. During the exhibition game, Anthony dropped 20 points on the opposing team, contributing to the 49-point lead by Team USA, according to Posting and Toasting.
