Few recall that Dwyane Wade ever suited up alongside LeBron James outside Miami. A memory of his first and longest stint is engraved on his chest! After growing frustrated with Miami’s contract offer in 2015, the Flash left his familiar turf for his hometown, Chicago, in 2016. However, when Chicago opted to rebuild after the 2016–17 season, Wade hit the road again. Did he get back to the franchise that drafted him?

The 3x NBA Champ retired from the league back in 2019. After getting frustrated by his deal in 2015, Dwyane Wade joined the Bulls, signing a two-year deal for $47 million. He had earlier refused the $20 million deal offered by the Heat, which was later turned into $40 million. Playing for his hometown, he teamed up with two power players, Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo.

He the eighth-seeded Bulls to a 41–41 finish before a 4–2 first-round exit to the Celtics. But when management opted to rebuild, shipping Butler to Minnesota and allowing Rondo to depart, Wade agreed to a buyout on September 24, 2017. Wade forfeited $8 million of his $23.8 million salary to clear waivers. Three days later, Cleveland scooped him up on a one-year, $2.3 million veteran-minimum contract.

He reunited with his former Heat teammate LeBron James — a franchise first since their 2014 titles. While he did play for the Cavaliers, it seems that he wishes people to forget this brief stint. Over 46 games in Cleveland, Wade posted 11.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per contest.

“Cleveland was a whole different beast, bro,” Wade said. “It was a lot going on before I got there, obviously coming there as Bron’s guy, I got thrown into the s—,” Wade said on 7PM in Brooklyn podcast. “When I was in Cleveland, I was like a zombie,” he told Cavaliers Nation.

He opened the season as a starter in just three of Cleveland’s first four games, then embraced a bench role. However, he wasn’t able to find his rhythm even after becoming the leader of the second unit. One curious detail of Wade’s Cavaliers jersey might have only added to this disconnection between Wade and the franchise.

What was wrong with Dwyane Wade’s Cavaliers jersey?

Wade wore the No. 3 jersey in honor of his idol, Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson. He won three championship titles. After winning his third title, he even asked the media to call him “3“ during the post-game press conference. Did he wear the same number during his time with the Cavaliers?

Despite donning No. 3 throughout his Heat career, Wade switched to No. 9 in Cleveland — his 2008 Team USA Olympic number. What might have seemed a harmless nod to his international résumé quickly became fodder for ridicule. Fans and teammates alike couldn’t get past the visual clash: Wade’s lithe silhouette in the Cavs’ claret-and-gold threads, emblazoned with a blocky No. 9, looked “off” next to the rounded, sinuous font he’d sported in Miami.

He had his own reasons for changing it up. A bizarre one at that! “Oo, it’s nasty. it definitely one of the most nastiest jerseys. But you see, I didn’t even want No. 3 in that jersey ’cause I was like, ‘Nah, this ain’t a good look,’” he told Melo on the podcast. With Isaiah Thomas already claiming No. 3, and Cedi Osman switching off his preferred No. 9, the end result was a jersey that never truly felt “Wade’s,” amplifying the sense that he was an impostor in his own encore.

This topic recently regained attention nearly eight years later again when Wade revealed his tattoo. It featured his jerseys from Richards HS, Marquette, Team USA, and the Miami Heat, along with his bronze statue at the Kaseya Center and his Hall of Fame crest. While some were glad to see Wade pay tribute to the Heat, others weren’t fond of the champ missing out on the Bulls and Cavaliers jersey. By excluding the mustard-tinged No. 9, Wade signaled what fans already knew: some jerseys are meant to be forgotten.