Lakers News: Future LA Hall Of Famer Absent From Friend Dwyane Wade’s HOF Ceremony

A Banana Boat compatriot was notably MIA.

On Saturday, August 12th, 2023, the newest class of the Basketball Hall of Fame was inducted in Springfield, Massachusetts. 

Los Angeles Lakers small forward forward LeBron James was notably absent from the crowd, despite his friend Dwyane Wade being on hand to receive his orange jacket that James, too, will wear one day. 

James was still active in supporting Wade on his social media, however. Here's his Instagram tribute:

And here's James' Twitter post, notably shouting out Miami Heat fans:

James and Wade were teammates in Miami from 2010-2014. In those four seasons together, the Heat won two championships and James won his third and fourth MVP. 

While playing with James, Wade won his second and third Larry O'Brien Trophies and was named to an All-NBA Team three times. 

Wade and James had another stint as teammates later in Wade's career. In 2017, the two shared the court for 46 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers, though Wade was no longer his peak All-Star self at that point.

Wade's time in Cleveland ended after he was flipped back to the Heat for a protected second round pick at the 2018 trade deadline.

James and Wade's friendship goes way past basketball. The two legends have been seen on social media hanging out with each other outside of a court many times.

James is guaranteed to join Wade in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame the first time he is on the ballot. 

He is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time and his stats prove it.

LeBron is a four-time MVP, 19-time All-Star, four-time champion and has now scored the most points in NBA history. 

While he waits for his turn to get into the Hall, LeBron James will continue to support his friends as they take their places. He was not present physically, perhaps due to family obligations, but clearly he was there in spirit.

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