MIAMI -- Tristan Thompson texted Dwyane Wade prior to Friday night’s game with a specific message.

“I always tell him he has no reason to retire because he’s putting up great numbers this year,” Thompson said. “He’s been playing well and the guy can still hoop. Who knows? He might change his mind.”

That’s unlikely. Despite others around the NBA -- and Miami Heat fans -- sharing Thompson’s opinion, Wade will retire at the end of the season. During his farewell tour, which has been dubbed “One Last Dance,” opposing arenas have honored him, playing video tributes in timeouts and showering him with boisterous ovations, momentarily forgetting that he’s on the other side.

“I think everyone respects when people put everything into the game,” Channing Frye told cleveland.com Friday night. “Dwyane has always played the game the right way and for the right reasons. He definitely made a lasting impact on me."

Frye isn’t along in that. Sure, Cleveland will be a footnote in Wade’s remarkable 16-year career that may even end with a playoff trip, as the Heat kept hold of the eighth spot with their fourth consecutive win. But those 46 games with the Cavs during the 2017-18 season, and the time spent getting to know him on a new level during that stretch, won’t be forgotten by his old teammates.

“Just winning all the time. No excuses made, just winning," Frye said when asked about what stands out about Wade. "Just the way his teammates endear to him and the relationships. He guards the best guy, scores when you need him to, he comes off the bench when you need him to. He does what’s asked and he does it so the team has the best chance of winning.”

Wade has won three championships. He signed with the Cavs ahead of last season because he wanted to chase another. Like many things during a rickety campaign, that stint didn’t go according to plan. So the Cavs shipped Wade back to Miami in a wild roster overhaul, allowing him to finish where his career started.

As Thompson said, Flash hasn’t completely vanished. At 37, Wade is averaging 14.2 points on 43.6 percent from the field to go with 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds. Coming off the bench this year, he has become the anchor of one of the league’s most potent second units. On Friday night, in his final game against the Cavaliers, Wade spearheaded a second-half surge and ended with 12 points, five assists, two rebounds, one steal and one block. When the game ended, it was time for Cavs players to say farewell.

“He’s old and crusty. He needs to get out of here,” Frye joked. “No, man, he’s one of my favorite players to watch. He’s so crafty. Everyone knows he’s going left and he still goes left and then you think just because he hobbles around the court that he can’t block shots and suddenly he has five at the end of the game.

“Watched him play at Marquette, shockingly, and was like, ‘Who is this dude?’ From where he was then until now is absolutely amazing and that’s a testament to him and what he put into his game.”

Rookie Collin Sexton idolized Wade and the two have formed a tight bond. Sexton, who sparked that relationship this past summer, views Wade as a mentor. He was one of the first players Wade greeted following Miami’s 126-110 victory. Sexton also has a special Wade jersey from the exchange earlier this season that he will forever treasure.

Brandon Knight grew up in Miami with dreams of one day going to the NBA. He had the perfect example of what it took in his own backyard.

“My favorite player growing up,” Knight said. “Always watched the Heat on TV and that’s one of my idols growing up for sure. Seeing the stuff he was doing at the time was incredible. Reminded me a lot of MJ (Michael Jordan).”

Everyone has a favorite Wade memory. Knight’s was the championship run Miami made during the 2006 NBA Finals.

“He just changed the game,” Knight said. “I remember him being so elite in the mid-range area and splitting double-teams, Euro-stepping, dunking and all that stuff.”

For Jordan Clarkson, one of the things that stands out is Wade’s loyalty to Miami. In an era where that seems to be fading, Wade spent his first 13 seasons with the Heat. It will be 14 and a half by the time his career ends.

“He’s great. Hall-of-Famer. Champion. He’s got everything on his resume. He’s going down as one of the best two-guards, combo-guards ever in the league,” Clarkson said. “For me, I always watched him in college and his first years in the league. Just amazing what he did at that time and seeing the end.

“Miami trusted in him, he kept growing every year and that year he won his first 'ship, it was a really good team, but the only other superstar he had was Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal) so him being able to hold this organization down for this many years, that’s impressive.”

Love pointed to Wade’s shot-blocking prowess, hoping that doesn’t get lost in all of his other numerous accomplishments. Thompson raved about Wade’s work ethic, seeing that firsthand for those four-plus months last season. Osman glowed when discussing Wade’s impact on him earlier that season.

The phrase “legends never die” is fitting when it comes to Wade. His legacy lives on in Cleveland’s locker room.

“Every day being a professional, putting his best foot forward -- who cares what the outcome was, whether he was coming off the bench or starting -- just leave it out there on the line,” Thompson said. “That shows the sign of a true champion.”