New-Era Sports Bromances That Might Piss off Old-School Fans

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are the closest of friends despite playing for different NBA franchises.

Yes, they were once teammates with the Miami Heat, but the bromance precedes even that; according to a story by ESPN.com's Pablo S. Torre, it's "the friendship that divides the NBA."

To some, the concept of a friendly rivalry like the one between Wade and James is absurd. Cedric Maxwell, who played in the NBA from 1977-88, said, "It just makes me ill. It's against the rules of nature."

Cleveland Cavaliers forward James Jones explained to Torre, "For a lot of people, it's hard to comprehend how you could be friendly and outgoing and still be a fierce competitor."

Such camaraderie might even incite anger—as it did for former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird merely shot a commercial together in 1986.

These new-era athletes don't seem to care, though. Each has forged a friendship with an athlete on a different team within the same sport. They have decided it's possible to be competitive rivals and friends at the same time. 

What a concept.

Honorable Mention: Tom Brady and Peyton Manning

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Settle down—no one is claiming Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are besties (hence, the honorable mention). However, it doesn't look like they hate each other with the venomous passion fans might like to think they should.

As two of the NFL's best quarterbacks in the same era, Brady and Manning represented a football rivalry made in media heaven. 

And yet, according to information uncovered by New York Daily News columnist Gary Myers, the two were competitive but friendly.  

In his 2015 book, Brady vs. Manning: The Untold Story of the Rivalry That Transformed the NFL, Myers revealed (via 247Sports' Ian McCue) the two QBs have hung out on the golf course, had dinner together with their wives and supported each other in the wake of injuries.

Myers later wrote, "Their friendship will last well beyond their football years."

Save a leaked personal email from Brady predicting (rightfully, as it turned out) the impending end of Manning's career, the animosity in this rivalry seems largely fan and media-made. 

Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller

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Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller and New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. are two of the NFL's brightest young stars, and they just might be forming a friendship.

The two sat next to each other at the NBA All-Star Game in February, and in April, Beckham joined Miller and his Dancing with the Stars partner Lindsay Arnold at a practice. Miller and Arnold posted video evidence to Instagram, and the three looked to be having a grand ol' time.  

In May, a photo of Miller and Beckham at Six Flags Magic Mountain popped up on social media.

It's early, but this could be the start of a beautiful sports bromance, one old-time fans would probably hate. 

Patrick Beverley and Derrick Rose

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Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley and Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose have a Chicago connection. In fact, their friendly rivalry dates back to high school, where Rose played for Simeon Career Academy and Beverley for John Marshall Metropolitan.

In 2015, Beverley defended his friend against criticism related to injury struggles. Per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, he said, "He should be celebrated, not criticized."

According to Johnson, the two players speak regularly, and Beverley also said of Rose, "Ever since high school, he has stayed true to himself. That's who he is. He has a small circle."

In March, the two earned double technical fouls for squabbling during a game.

Kyle Thele of the Sun-Times National wrote, "Clearly, the referees didn't realize it was simply two friends talking trash."

According to Thele, Beverley stayed at Rose's house and trained with him in the offseason, and he was also wearing Rose's Adidas shoes during that double-tech game. 

Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor

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Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros and Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians are two of MLB's most talented young shortstops. In 2015, Correa won the American League Rookie of the Year with 17 first-place votes, but Lindor was right there with 13 votes of his own. 

Both hail from Puerto Rico, and the two met when Lindor was a senior in high school. According to Angel Verdejo Jr. of the Houston Chronicle, Correa said, "People compare us as baseball players but he's a great human being as well."

He went on to (gasp!) compliment his peer, saying of Lindor, "He can hit, he can play defense and he's going to find a way to help the team win ballgames, so I love the passion with which he plays."

Lindor graciously congratulated Correa on his ROY Award. He also said of his fellow shortstop, per Verdejo, "It's making sure we take care of each other."

(Come on—how could anyone dislike that?)

Brendan Gallagher and Brad Marchand

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The Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins do not like each other—aggressively.

And yet, Habs right winger Brendan Gallagher has been chummy with at least two Bruins players over the years.

Former Boston left winger Milan Lucic managed to maintain a friendship with Gallagher despite the hatred between fanbases. They both played for the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League and often trained together in the NHL offseason.

More recently, news of an budding friendship between Gallagher and Bruins left winger Brad Marchand has emerged. The two have spent time together with Team Canada, and in May, they admitted to a friendship in an interview with TSN's Darren Dreger.  

"I really get along with Brad. I told him that I found it almost hard to believe. I just loved to hate him for so many seasons. But when you get to know him, you realize he's a very good guy," Gallagher said, per Michael Traikos of the National Post.

DeAngelo Williams and Gary Barnidge

If Pat Riley didn't like Magic Johnson doing a commercial with Larry Bird, he would absolutely hate this.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams and Cleveland Browns tight end Gary Barnidge once played together with the Carolina Panthers, so their camaraderie is more understandable. Now, however, they are on opposite sides of a division rivalry.

And yet, they remain close friends. They go to WrestleMania regularly, and Barnidge told Jacob Klinger of Cleveland.com, "We have a great relationship."

The two were in Egypt together in February, along with several other NFL players, as part of trip with American Football Without Barriers. The bromance was evident as Barnidge playfully videobombed Williams with a Browns pennant.

In April, they even went as far as to make a (totally awesome) "friendship video." 

James Hinchcliffe and Conor Daly, Et Al

IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports seems particularly well-connected among his racing rivals.

Hinchcliffe eked out Josef Newgarden of Ed Carpenter Racing to win the pole at the 100th Indianapolis 500, and just three months prior, the two were at the NBA All-Star Game together. There was also Hinchcliffe's roommate, Conor Daly of Dale Coyne Racing. That's right—drivers from different teams actually live together. 

Hinchcliffe was involved in an accident at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2015 and suffered a near-fatal injury. Friends from all over IndyCar shared well-wishes. 

Marco Andretti, a former teammate of Hinchcliffe's, praised his recovery and subsequent training. He said, "I mean, last time he was at my house, him and I ran a 10-mile run like nothing," per Brant James of USA Today.

If that's not enough, Hinchcliffe's Instagram is full of bro-tastic photos of himself with rival drivers, including Tony Kanaan of Chip Ganassi Racing and Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport. 

Womance: Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki

"Womance" alert: Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki may not be in a "bromance," literally speaking, but they do represent one of the best examples of a rival friendship in sports.

Wozniacki has zero Grand Slam titles to Williams' 21, and the two have a nine-year age gap, but neither disparity has impeded the friendship.

In January, Williams said of Wozniacki, "She's one of my true friends that will tell me the truth no matter what because she doesn't have anything to gain or to lose, and that's what I love about her," per Leila Hussain and James Masters of CNN.

In 2015, Wozniacki told Rebecca Johnson of Vogue that Williams had been a support system when her engagement to golfer Rory McIlroy ended abruptly. "She was really there for me when I needed her the most, and that's why I think our friendship is so strong now," she said.

Head over to Instagram for even more evidence (as if it's needed).

Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson

Golfers Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson have had a bromance brewing for some time now. The two were paired together at Quail Hollow in 2010, and the friendship blossomed from there.

In 2014, Fowler told Nick Masuda of Golfweek he spends a lot of time with Watson's family, and Watson's son Caleb even calls him "Uncle Rickie."

Fowler explained, "You know, when you have to sit with him for four-and-a-half hours on a plane, you learn a lot and figure out if I want to spend more time with this guy or not."

In 2015, Watson posted a photo to Twitter of himself, Fowler and Fowler's girlfriend enjoying a nice little boat ride. Plus there's the ridiculous "Golf Boys" YouTube video. 

Old-school fans might be dismayed to learn the new generation of PGA golfers are following suit, racking up rival bromances left and right. In April, Fowler joined Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Smylie Kaufman on a vacation in the Bahamas.

Joe Ross and Mallex Smith

Atlanta Braves outfielder Mallex Smith and Washington Nationals pitcher Joe Ross met as prospects in the San Diego Padres organization. They even lived together in 2013 while playing for the Class-A Fort Wayne TinCaps.

Since then, the two went on to join rival teams in the National League East, but the camaraderie remains.

In fact, Ross called Smith "one of my closest friends," per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports.

Smith made his major league debut in April after being called up for an injured Ender Inciarte ahead of a series in Washington. Guess who picked him up from the airport?

Smith said, "This is actually a big moment for both of us. When he got called up he called me just ecstatic. Now for me to finally get called up and we get to play against them? He got to see my first day, which was pretty awesome."

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony

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It's not just LeBron James and Dwyane Wade who have maintained a friendship despite playing for different teams. The Cleveland Cavaliers forward and Miami Heat guard also count Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers and Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks as members of their inner circle.

In fact, James once said the trio of opponents were his only "very good friends" in the NBA, per CBS Sports' James Herbert. Anthony and James met in high school, and Wade and James first encountered each other at an NBA predraft camp in 2003.

They all played together with Team USA at the 2008 Olympics and again in 2012 (save Wade, who had to withdraw with an injury). In 2015, the foursome vacationed together in the Bahamas—aka the site of the infamous banana boat photo.

James has even pondered the possibility of playing with all three guys on the same NBA team. In March, he told Bleacher Report's Howard Beck, "I really hope that, before our career is over, we can all play together. At least one, maybe one or two seasons—me, Melo, D-Wade, CP—we can get a year in. I would actually take a pay cut to do that."

#SquadGoals.