On Sunday, the Miami Heat officially unveiled franchise icon Dwyane Wade’s statue outside Kaseya Center. It was a great honor bestowed upon Wade, but fans haven’t been all that impressed by the statue.
Dwyane Wade’s Heat career
-15 seasons
-3 championships
-All-time leader in points, games, assists, and steals
-1 completely unrecognizable statue
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 27, 2024
I hate to say it, but this eight-foot statue doesn’t seem to resemble Wade as much as I’d have liked. Some have suggested it looks more like actor Laurence Fishburne and I can see that resemblance. As for what the man himself thought of it, Wade’s initial reaction at the ceremony went viral.
“That’s crazy, I can’t believe that,” Wade said. “Who is that guy?”
“Who is that guy?”
Dwyane Wade’s reaction to his statue 💀
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) October 27, 2024
While I get the emotion that Wade was trying to get across, it was quite hilarious that he asked who it was. Later on during his press conference, the 42-year-old called it one of the best statues ever made.
“I think it’s beautiful,” Wade said. “… Personally biased, I think it’s one of the best statues that’s been created because of what it represents for us and for me.”
As for the statue’s pose, it pays tribute to one of Wade’s most iconic moments with the Heat. Back on March 9, 2009, he hit an incredible game-winning three-pointer at the end of double overtime against the Chicago Bulls and celebrated with that pose while yelling, “This is my house!”
(starts at 9:00 mark):
That sure is the house Wade built. As for who built the statue, the task was given to Timeless Creations’ Omri Amrany and Oscar Leon. Amrany has been in this business for quite some time, with him and his wife Julie Rotblatt-Amrany creating all the statues outside the Los Angeles Lakers arena, including Kobe Bryant’s. They also made the Michael Jordan statue that stands inside the United Center.
Amrani and Leon have also added some easter eggs to this Wade statue. Zachary Weinberger reported that they added the names of his parents, the numbers of his original addresses in Chicago, gum in his mouth, and more. They certainly put in a fair bit of effort but the statue hasn’t won over the fans in the way they’d have hoped.
This statue is far from the only honor that Wade has gotten in Miami. Later in the day, he also posed in front of the sign for Dwyane Wade Boulevard.
The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously back in 2021 to designate a portion of Northeast Seventh Street from Biscayne Boulevard to Northeast Second Avenue as Dwyane Wade Boulevard. With all that he did for the Heat and the city of Miami, I don’t think anyone can say it was undeserved.
Dwyane Wade Is The Greatest Player In Heat History
Wade was drafted with the fifth pick of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Heat and has gone down as the franchise’s greatest player. He spent 14 and a half seasons with the team, averaging 22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in that time.
Wade led the Heat to the first championship in the franchise’s history in 2006, winning Finals MVP in the process. A few years later, he formed a formidable Big 3 along with LeBron James and Chris Bosh, and the trio would win back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013.
Wade ended his career with the Heat in 2019 and a year later, the franchise retired his jersey. He became the fifth player to get that honor, at the time, but is the first to have gotten a statue. I’d say that was fitting.
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