Carmelo Anthony had the same reaction as everyone else when his close friend Dwyane Wade left the Miami Heat after 13 incredible seasons.

New York Knicks‘ forward Carmelo Anthony was just as surprised as the rest of the NBA world when Dwyane Wade announced he was leaving the Miami Heat for his hometown Chicago Bulls.

Melo spoke to reporters about Wade’s decision before Thursday’s Team USA practice in Chicago.

“I was shocked more from a standpoint it was just hard to see. It’s hard to see some players in different uniforms and he’s one of those guys who I never thought I would see in a different uniform other than Miami. But it happened, and I got a chance to talk to him and sit down with him and really dig deep about his feelings and what happened. He’s at peace now. And when he’s at peace, I’m at peace with it.”

Anthony also spoke about how difficult the free agency process is. Knicks’ fans remember how during his free agency summer two years ago Anthony visited with a number of teams before ultimately deciding to return.

“I don’t think the masses really understand how difficult those decisions are,” Anthony said. “And what goes into those decisions. And as athletes what’s going through our mind during those decisions. A lot of people think we can just wake up and we can just make those decisions — it’s not that easy.”

Anthony and Wade are close friends so it’s a little surprising that even he was blown away by the news. It speaks to the remarkable legacy in Miami. One that Anthony wishes he could’ve built for himself in New York.