The 2023 class set to be enshrined in Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an exceptional one and the Los Angeles Lakers will be represented as Pau Gasol will be inducted. But for current Lakers superstar LeBron James, the person he is closest with in this class is undoubtedly Dwyane Wade.
LeBron and Wade, along with Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, became extremely close friend throughout their time in the NBA. But the two superstars were also able to come together on the Miami Heat in 2011, forming one of the best duos in NBA history and winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013.
Wade is undoubtedly the greatest player in the history of the Heat franchise and the team recently released a congratulatory video celebrating his upcoming induction. Of course, James was part of this video and the Lakers star even went on X to again give his congrats to his close friend:
YESSIR!!!!! HEAT NATION ? STAND UP!! STANDING OVATION ??????????????????????!!!! CONGRATULATIONS @DwyaneWade LOVE YOU BROTHER!! https://t.co/OC0Sxnf9dO
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 10, 2023
Wade is more than deserving of this honor. The 13-time All-Star and eight-time All-NBA selection won three NBA Championships all with the Heat and his performance in the 2006 NBA Finals is one of the greatest individual performances the league has ever seen on that stage.
The video put together by the Heat was exceptional with not only LeBron, but also fellow former Lakers who played with Wade such as Shaquille O’Neal, Lamar Odom and Gary Payton as well as the likes of Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra, Chris Bosh, Alonzo Mourning and current Heat stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
But the relationship between LeBron and Wade is a special one. The pair were both part of the 2003 NBA Draft class that is one of the greatest of all-time and played together on multiple Olympic teams, bringing home a gold medal in 2008. There are many who are proud of Wade, but few who are more proud than LeBron James.
Lamar Odom congratulates Lakers teammate Pau Gasol on Hall of Fame induction
Odom was a part of that Heat video congratulating Wade, but that isn’t him only former teammate heading to the Hall of Fame as his Lakers teammate Pau Gasol will be inducted as well and Odom made sure to congratulate him on social media as well.
Odom took to X, calling Gasol a top tier post player while adding that he was always steps ahead on the court. The pair were absolutely crucial in the Lakers winning back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.
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