LeBron James vs Dwyane Wade Showdown 1-25-2010

MIAMI -- There were all sorts of signs and sentiments in the stands making the case.

One fan held up a life-sized cutout of LeBron James wearing a Miami Heat uniform. Another dangled a large photo of a tanned, bikini-clad South Beach party-goer next to a blow-up of a pasty-skinned, calorically overburdened lovely supposedly from the shores of Lake Erie and asked James to consider the difference.

The cajoling, the wheedling, the begging and the pleading are, of course, all part of the fun with James and Dwyane Wade preparing to hit the free-agent market this summer and fans in their respective cities fantasizing about the possibility of them teaming up.

But Monday night at AmericanAirlines Arena was the real fun and showcased a better reason why King James and D-Wade -- for the good of the game -- should stay apart. For the drama that hung in the air like south Florida humidity. For the competitive instincts that dripped like sweat from their pores. For the sheer intensity of it all.

Would Bird and Magic have been nearly as compelling if the two superstars had both worn green or purple? Would the names of Wilt and Russell been able to conjure up such classic memories if the pair of giants had played side-by-side rather than head-to-head?

"This was two really good friends and two great competitors not wanting to lose to each other," said James. "But at the same time we knew that we were putting on a show for not only each other, but for the fans here and everyone watching the game."

It was a game that ended with James and Wade each scoring 32 points and the Cavaliers winning 92-91. But it was an experience that was about so much more than numbers.

When Wade and James were teammates at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 -- along with Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and the rest of USA Basketball's NBA royalty -- it was a regal procession all the way to the gold medal.

But when James and Wade go toe-to-toe, it's like a pair of brothers wrestling in the backyard mud and maybe even spilling some of the same blood, neither willing to give an inch.

If Wade and James were to pull on the same jerseys next season, maybe it would deliver a sure string of championships. But it would deprive everyone of nights such as Monday night, when a pair of warriors delivered an Ali-Frazier Thrilla in Manila above the rim. They traded dunks and determination, attitude and acrobatics.

T

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[HailDaFins]

LETS GO WADE LETS GO LEBRON LETS GO BOSH LETS GO HEAT

[MrKing8050]

1:22-1:30 Wade: We gonna be teamates next year right?

James: Fo Sho

[T3VDAWG]

@sallal1000 noo im not hatin Wade man. Hes actually my favorite player

[sallal1000]

@T3VDAWG ur right but the main problem is that barea was an extra wheel because he had dirk, kidd, terry, etc but d.wade was the whole heat my friend :) if u want to hate on wade the least u can do is do it right :D

[T3VDAWG]

@TheChillfucker wade and barea have the same amount of rings just sayin

[FuriousDeath]

@MrKing8050 haahahaha

[the61919]

@ratede91 LOL yeah he is the true king

[ratede91]

@the61919 Bill Russel sorta is... the best

[realtalk300]

I'M GOING TO MISS THEM WHEN THEY FACED EACHOTHER BUT FOR KNOW HEAT BITCH

[the61919]

@hybridink147 rings don't make a player better than others,if so MJ is not the best,Bill Russell is

[the61919]

rings don't make a player better than others,if so MJ is not the best,Bill Russell is

[TheChillfucker]

goddamned, rings dont say annything for an individual player, otherwise DJ mbenga would be better than lebron james, jj barea would be better than dwade

its a team effort