Rajon Rondo describes how he and longtime adversary Dwyane Wade ended their feud by joining the Bulls in 2016-17

From furious opponents to comrades, Rondo reflects on how he formed an intriguing Chicago partnership with D-Wade.

© Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Rajon Rondo and Dwayne Wade have their fair share of battles, which is well documented. It was an incredible matchup that gave every single fan a thrill, with Rondo's Boston Celtics attempting to defend their Eastern Conference domination versus Wade and the Heat. 

With Rondo even claiming that Wade purposefully harmed him during one of their heated clashes, the animosity couldn't get any hotter. But as the years passed and they went their own ways, Rajon and D-Wade found themselves on a similar route, which led to an intriguing union in the Windy City.

Rondo and Wade united in Chicago

In an unlikely turn of events to follow up their rivalry from the previous seasons, both Rondo and Wade joined the Chicago Bulls in the summer of 2016 to form an intriguing backcourt duo.

As Rondo got enticed by the two-year offer by the Bulls, he went on to join them alongside D-Wade, who inked a $49 million contract for two years. As revealed by the former point guard in the View From Rafters podcast, both of them had a talk in which they buried the hatchet and agreed to unite for the benefit of the Bulls.

"Wade called me before we became teammates,” Rondo recalled. “He’s like, 'Hey, everything's cool' and I'm like 'Nah! Of course not!'," Rondo jokingly said. "My main focus is just to win. … I was like ‘Put everything in the past, let's go ahead and win. It's your hometown.’"

A failed basketball campaign, but a newfound brotherhood for both

Both Rondo and Wade formed a strong partnership with the Bulls and forged a "Big 3" Bulls tandem with Jimmy Butler last 2016-17. Amid the talent and the strong competitive mentality that they've flashed, it turned out to be a roller coaster ride for the entire Chicago squad that year. 

They managed to qualify for the postseason but failed to pull the upset against the top-seeded Celtics despite holding a commanding 2-0 early series margin.

While their plans of contention with the Bulls didn't turn out to be a success for both Rajon and Dwyane, this one-year rally that they shared still allowed them to mend their fences and end their career with no grudge being held.

Chicago Bulls jump to no. 19 in The Athletic's Power Rankings