Thursday 11 April 2019 07:26, UK
LeBron James, Chris Paul and Carmelo were on hand to watch their friend Dwyane Wade post a 25-point triple-double in his final NBA game.
Miami Heat icon Wade ended his 16-year career on Wednesday night with a 113-94 loss to the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center with his best friends watching courtside. He gave them a show with a 25-point, 11-rebound and 10-assist performance, his first triple-double since January 13, 2006.
Appropriately, Wade reached his triple-double by connecting with longtime team-mate Udonis Haslem for a jumper in the final minute of the third quarter.
Wade exited the court for the last time with 10 seconds remaining. Before leaving the court, he embraced team-mates on the floor, then hugged coach Erik Spoelstra and waved to the crowd.
After the final buzzer, Wade exchanged hugs at midcourt with Anthony, James, and Paul and posed with pictures with his longtime friends. He then gave his jersey to Anthony.
Speaking during the game, James said it was a given that he, Anthony and Paul would be attendance to watch Wade's farewell performance.
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James was shut down for several of the Lakers' final games and Paul's Thunder played their final regular-season game Tuesday night. Anthony did not sign with another NBA team after his release from the Rockets this season.
"Listen, we all started this journey together," James told Fox Sports Southeast. "Obviously CP came into the league a couple years after us, but we have a brotherhood that is just so much more than basketball. CP played last night, we had our last regular-season game last night, and Melo is right here in New York, so we kind of made the plan and made the decision to come up here."
The friends often travel together during the summer and picked up the 'Banana Boat Crew' moniker after photos of them riding in one circulated on social media in 2016.
James, who won two NBA titles with Wade in Miami, two of the three Wade won altogether, was asked about favourite memories of his friendship with Wade. James said a good answer to that would take a while.
"I mean, we'd be here all night talking. We'd be here all night talking about the best memories, or the most fond memories I have of D-Wade.
"The plane rides, the bus rides, the hotels when we get to the city we'd go to the hotel room and just chop it up, the dinners we had on the road, everything we did was always genuine. (There was) always love, and we always wanted the best for one another, no matter the good or the bad.
"I will say the most founding part was when we lost [to Dallas in 2011]. Because, without 11, there's no [2013], no [2012 championship] banners hanging up in [AmericanAirlines Arena]. That's what made us. That's what made our team.
"It's been an unbelievable journey for my guy, and I'm happy to be here for the last little part of the road before the train comes to a stop."
