Miami Heat, Lebron James Heartbroken As Dexter Pittman's Sent To D-League

Yesterday, Miami Heat rookie Dexter Pittman was re-assigned to the NBA D-League. Today, LeBron James and the rest of Pittman's teammates with the Heat talked to Fox Sports Florida's Chris Perkins about the loss of their favorite (and only) rookie.

As cold-blooded as James seems on the court, though, he seems to have a soft spot when it comes to 300-pound dudes from Texas that have yet to play in a regular season game with last year's NBA MVP.

"LeBron is like my big brother," Pittman told Perkins. "He said I can't go anywhere without him. He's kind of heartbroken, he told me, because I'm leaving."

While James probably has the power to keep Pittman in Miami if that's what he really wanted, for now he's open to admitting that he'll miss the big fella while he's in lovely Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

"I am (heartbroken)," James told Perkins. "That's my rook, right there. I keep a good tab on him while he's gone, I want him to play well. I see a lot of potential in him."

Mario Chalmers, a rookie with the Heat last year, also is friends with Pittman -- though he surprisingly didn't admit that he was heartbroken in the report. Instead, Chalmers is just friends with him because they both played in the Big 12.

"It goes back with me and Pitt ever since the KU-Texas days," said Chalmers.

"We're always together, hanging out," the 6-11, 300-pound Pittman said. "And they always seem to pick on me because I'm the rookie. But when it gets too far, I use my physical size on them."

Pittman will go back to using his physical size on D-League players instead of James and Chalmers tonight as the Sioux Falls Skyforce will play the Erie BayHawks at 6 p.m.