‘My Dream of Becoming an NBA Player Started Here': Dwyane Wade Introduced by Bulls

It was a union that was a long time coming, but the Chicago Bulls and Dwyane Wade are finally together, and the NBA star is excited to start a new chapter of his career in the city where he was born.

“My dream of becoming an NBA player started here,” Wade said in his introductory press conference on Friday afternoon. “I know it took a long time to get here, but I’m here.”

Wade’s NBA career began with the Miami Heat all the way back in 2003, and that is where he remained for the following 13 seasons. During that time he won three championships and was a thorn in the side for the Bulls, who haven’t reached the NBA Finals since the 1997-98 season.

After looking at Chicago seriously during the frenetic 2010 offseason (before ultimately re-signing with the Heat), Wade opted to come to the Windy City after a falling out with Miami management that resulted in him leaving the team where he had spent over a decade.

“I had a contract offer from Miami. At the end of the day, I made the decision to be selfish and live out a dream of mine,” Wade said. “I went where I wanted to be.”

That place Wade wanted to be is alongside several key pieces that the Bulls have in place as they attempt to get back to the postseason after missing a playoff berth last season. One of those pieces is Jimmy Butler, who emerged as the top dog on the team after Derrick Rose was traded away to the New York Knicks in June.

Even with Wade’s arrival however, the veteran isn’t expecting to be the top dog in the organization.

“It’s Jimmy Butler’s team,” he said.

Wade also has had his fair share of battles with point guard Rajon Rondo, who also signed a two-year deal with the Bulls earlier this offseason. In spite of their differences on the court, Wade knows that in order to win a title he will need to work together with his new teammate.

“We had so many battles that have been documented,” he said. “But we were competing for championships. I want to play with a guy like that.”

Ultimately, Wade’s arrival is designed to do one thing: to make the Bulls a more competitive organization, and to get back into playoff contention on a consistent basis, and that is part of the reason why the guard chose to come back to the Windy City.

“I wanted to be a part of building this organization back up,” he said.