Chicago Bulls took a moment to honor Dwayne Wade in what was likely his last game at the United Center.
Chicago gave Wade a standing ovation as he took the court Saturday during the Heat's 117-103 victory over the Bulls when he checked in during the first quarter. Chicago also played a tribute video to honor and thank the veteran, who spent the 2016-17 season with the Bulls.
Wade, who finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, said coming back to his hometown of Chicago felt different than any town he has visited on his farewell tour.
"It definitely felt different than any other city," Wade said after the game (via ESPN ). "It was a good different. I have more of a connection here than anywhere else. This is my birth city. This is the place where my vision to become an NBA player started.
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“You guys know it’s not an easy place to live," he added, per the Chicago Tribune . "Growing up in the inner city to make it out to be a vision of hope for the next generation, we take a lot of pride in that. And to come back and give back and hopefully give others opportunity to be successful is big, but also just for people in the city of Chicago to see that it can be done. You can get out. A lot of us had a ball and a dream and that ball has taken us so many places and we’ve been able to do a lot of things with it."
Wade announced at the beginning of the season that he is ready to retire after one more year in the NBA as he wants to spend more time with his family.
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He spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Heat, winning three championships, before playing with the Bulls for a season. He then signed with Cleveland Cavaliers, but appeared in just 46 games for Cleveland before he was dealt back to the Heat in February.
Wade has averaged 14 points with 4.1 assists through 35 games with Miami Heat this season.
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