Written by Nick Friedell at ESPN.com
Dwyane Wade made his Chicago homecoming a memorable affair, contributing 22 points, six rebounds and five assists to the Bulls’ 105-99 win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
In his first regular-season appearance as a member of the Bulls, Wade had fans cheering from start to finish as he authored the beginning of a new chapter in his Hall of Fame career.
After being announced as “from Chicago” in the starting lineup introductions, Wade, who is from Robbins, Illinois, took a knee for a moment before making his way through a line of high-fives with some of his teammates.
“I’ve been waiting on that moment for a long time,” Wade said. “I know it was special, obviously, for my family who was here. They’ve been waiting on it probably just as long. I just took that moment just to thank God for giving me this opportunity to be here, to do these things, to have this career I have. And to be able to make a decision on my own. And put myself in a position where I can live a dream out. I was very thankful in that moment. Took that knee to just thank the Lord and hear the cheers in the crowd and take in a moment. And then, it’s game time.”
Wade signed with the Bulls over the summer after 13 seasons with the Miami Heat. He has been heralded throughout training camp as a solid leader and a player his younger teammates can learn from, alongside veteran point guardRajon Rondo.
Making his presence known throughout the game, Wade went 7-for-18 from the field and hit the biggest shot of the night, a 3-pointer with 26.3 seconds left that gave the Bulls a five-point lead they would not relinquish.
Wade said he “had an out-of-body experience” after knocking down the 3, which included a throat slash toward the Celtics.
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