NBA Rumors: Critics Closely Examining LeBron James and Dwayne Wade's Friendship

The LeBron James-Dwayne Wade friendship is perhaps the most divisive and polarizing kind of fraternal bond that ever emerged in the NBA. For many people, the whole friendship is so ridiculous and an aberration from the league's hatred-based origins that defined much of the NBA decades ago. But that was NBA from the yesteryears. Players now have more shifting, less binding, and even weaker loyalties depending on the offer one team makes via free agency.

How strong is their friendship? Well, the once teammates and now opponents are such good friends that James would rather take a few days of vacation from his usual Cavs workout routine to meet up with friend Wade in tropical Miami, CBS Sports reported.

Of course, this kind brotherly bond just seemed too much for a lot of people to take especially in an environment where braggadocio is the norm. Animosity and hostility is expected to breed a steely form of competitiveness among players that makes modern day basketball a game fit for athletes with gladiatorial-like spirit. Interestingly, James and Wade do seem to find a way to bridge and competitiveness without tearing each other apart on the hardcourt.

"The biggest misconception, for myself and LeBron, is that we can't compete against each other because we're friends. We're two of the biggest competitors in the game. It's just a slap in the face. I played amongst my brothers my whole life and I wanted to beat their ass every time," said Wade as quoted by ESPN.

To give us a sense of how close their friendship is, Complex lists 5 interesting things that most people probably don't know about them:

1. James knows more about Gabriele Union's husband Wade. Union recently admitted that if she and Wade plays the Newlywed Game, James would probably know more about Wade than she would.

2. Wade trusts James when it comes to ordering food in the restaurant. Whenever Wade is running late for a meet-up with James in a restaurant, his buddy would order food in his behalf.

3. James and Wade used to have sleepovers whenever they're playing at each other's cities. Both buddies feel more comfortable sleeping over each other's places where there is more comfort and privacy.

4. James helped Wade when the latter gained custody of his two children. In the legal battle over the custody of his two sons, Zaire and Zion, Wade was granted full custody in 2011 and he turned to James on parenting help.

5. They do say Love to each other. Feels pretty weird but they do end up their conversations with things like 'Love you bro' in a very brotherly kind of way.

The world of NBA has changed over the years. In the past, the James-Wade friendship would have seriously frowned upon. The on-court scuffles and brawls had been a constant feature on any given game but those were the days when basketball superstars didn't have the economic power that most NBA superstars have now. Right now, the highest-paid players get most of income not from their day job but from lucrative endorsement deals.