Dwyane Wade is now the first Miami Heat player to have a statue outside the team’s arena, though many of his fans aren’t sure if it’s a fitting tribute.
The Heat unveiled the statue on Sunday, eight months after team president Pat Riley announced plans for the tribute. A 13-time All-Star, Wade is Miami’s all-time leading scorer, and he and Udonis Haslem are the only players to have been on all three Heat teams that won NBA championships.
“This is crazy,” Wade said at the unveiling. “I wanted to feel this. Life goes by so quickly and it’s very rare that we feel things because we’re always on to the next thing. …I wanted to feel this, man. I wanted to watch it.”
Others were less enthusiastic about the statue, which bears only a passing resemblance to Wade, comparing it to an infamous representation of Cristiano Ronaldo that was widely ridiculed.
“Man, who the hell is this??? The Miami Heat did Dwyane Wade dirty with this statue lmao,” one social media user wrote.
Another referenced Wade’s move to the Chicago Bulls toward the end of his career. “If Pat Riley won’t give you max money, sign with the Bulls,” they wrote.
Others suggested the statue looked more like actor Laurence Fishburne than Wade.
A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, Wade is one of six former Heat players to have his number retired by the team – along with Haslem, Chris Bosh, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning.
“As the greatest player ever in Miami Heat history, yeah, it’s his day, it’s his family’s day,” Riley said.
The statue is accompanied by a wall depicting Wade’s career achievements and is placed outside the front doors of the team’s arena. Wade is now part owner of the Utah Jazz, among many other business interests.