The Story
Cole, speaking recently about his time in Miami, painted a vivid picture of a practice session where Wade and James went at each other with unmistakable intensity.
“He start shooting shots like wrong leg left hand hooks layups, start doing almost MJ layups not looking,” Cole recalled.
The implication was clear: LeBron wasn’t just competing. He was showing off. He was making impossible shots look routine, daring anyone including Wade to question his place in the hierarchy.
“Then he’d run down and look at Pat Riley like ‘I know, I know it’s different. I know D-Wade y’all boy but I know it’s different.'”
The Dynamic
Wade and James played five seasons together in Miami from 2010 to 2014. Wade was already a Finals MVP and franchise legend when LeBron arrived.
Stories like Cole’s, however, reveal the competitive fire that simmered beneath the surface. LeBron never wanted to be seen as Wade’s co-pilot. He wanted to be seen as the pilot and he was willing to prove it in practice.
The Present
Now 41 and in his 23rd season, LeBron’s competitive fire hasn’t dimmed. He recently surpassed Karl Malone for second on the all-time scoring list one of countless records he’s collected over two decades.
But he’s also shown confusion about the league’s new directions. Asked about the NBA’s shift to a USA vs. World All-Star format, LeBron was characteristically blunt:
“I like the East and West format. They’re trying something; we’ll see what happens, but it’s US vs World. The world is gigantic over the US, so I’m trying to figure out how that makes sense.”
The Legacy
Cole’s story is a reminder of what made LeBron special. Not just the stats, not just the rings, but the relentless need to prove to teammates, to legends, to himself that he was different.
“I know it’s crazy, it’s different,” he’d say after each impossible shot.Decades later, we’re still agreeing with him.
