The roars from the crowd started the instant Erik Spoelstra pointed to the bench.
The loudest sellout crowd at AmericanAirlines Arena this season knew what was coming. Dwyane Wade stood up, jogged over to the scorer’s table, hugged Goran Dragic and began his second stint with the Miami Heat to a standing ovation with five minutes and 19 seconds left in the opening quarter.
The loving reunion Heat fans had been hoping for – since the day the 12-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion decided to leave this franchise behind amidst a battle of egos with team president Pat Riley – finally came Friday night.