Dwyane Wade Happy to Play Second Fiddle to LeBron James


LeBron James has assumed the leadership mantle from Dwyane Wade in Miami this season, and the longtime Heat superstar is more than happy to step aside for the reigning MVP. From the Miami Herald: “Wade knows the Heat will always be his in terms of Miami’s embrace. He always will be more beloved here than James if only for the seven-year head start on earning fans’ respect and emotional bond. There is other lingering deference to Wade. He is still the cleanup hitter in pregame introductions, his name saved for last. And Wade still usually has the ball in his hands on final possessions when games are on the line (although increasingly you get the idea that baton might be handed to James as well). In every other way, though, the team is LeBron’s now. He carries the scoring load. When you look at the consistency of his rebound and assist totals and his ability as a shut-down defender, you understand he carries the load, period. […] ‘I know what he can do. I know that when he wants to, he’s unstoppable,’ Wade told The Palm Beach Post recently. ‘It’s not a sensitive subject with me. I get it.’ […] ‘My confidence ain’t going to change, but I realize and understand where he is at this point in his career,’ Wade said of James. ‘At certain times in the league, Coach Riley has felt I was the best player. I don’t change the way I approach the game and what I think of myself at all by saying [James] is the best in the world right now.'”