While the sports world was completely enraptured by LeBron James' impending decision in free agency on Thursday, his now-former teammate, Dwyane Wade, was informed of LeBron's future plans first-hand on a plane ride from Vegas to Miami.
According to Bill Reiter of FOX Sports, LeBron told Wade about his desire to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the flight - prompting Wade to give some simple advice to fellow Heat free agent Chris Bosh about his own future with the team:
Source tells me Wade found out on flight yesterday LeBron was going back to CLE. Wade understood. Wade then told Bosh "Do what you gotta do"
— Bill Reiter (@foxsportsreiter) July 11, 2014
With max contract offers from both the Miami Heat and Houston Rockets on the table, Bosh chose to return to South Beach on a five-year, $118 million deal just hours after LeBron's announcement was made public.
Armed with an extra year and $30 million of financial security compared to the Rockets' offer, Bosh is likely to be a pillar of the Heat's plans for the next half-decade. Reportedly, Wade is finalizing his own (albeit shorter) deal to follow suit, giving the Heat a measure of continuity to work with in the wake of LeBron's disappointing exit.
Regardless, the Heat will move forward as an organization as they always seem to do - with a measure of class and a ton of determination.
