On October 27, Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade finally received a bronze statue at the Kaseya Center, bringing back memories of his famous “This is my house” pose from 2009. He is the first Heat player to have a statue outside the arena. With this sculpture, Wade becomes the latest NBA legend to get such recognition, joining Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.
The Basketball Hall of Famer played 15 of his 16 NBA seasons with the Miami Heat. He contributed to the team’s three NBA championships and earned the title of Finals MVP in 2006. The Heat retired Wade’s number and included him in the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
The 8-foot statue shows Wade’s energy from his exciting double-overtime win against the Bulls. Fans loved the statue, but some wondered if it looked like him, which led to some lively discussions. Wade also jokingly expressed his disbelief about the statue while addressing the crowd.
Dwyane Wade reacts to his horrific statue
The statue celebrates Wade’s amazing career with the Miami Heat, but fans had mixed feelings about it. Dwyane Wade also appeared taken aback by the statue’s appearance during the unveiling event. However, he shared his emotions with the press, saying that while he once wanted to change some things, that feeling has mostly faded.
He said, “It’s hard to say you wanted it in any other way when you just celebrated a statue… These last 21 years of my life have been incredible, the highs and the lows, because I’ve grown so much in the midst of them all. Just sitting out there on that podium, just understanding that there’s a statue behind, I’m like, ‘How?’ In my mind I’m like, ‘What, me?”
Dwyane Wade continued, “I was never chosen. I didn’t even get chosen on the playground when I was growing up… Just sitting here, man, thinking about coming here as a young kid, 21 years old, and now as a 42-year-old man, and to be here and experience something like this with everybody, it’s one of the dopest moments of my life, simply put. Probably one of the best moments of my life.”
