Basketball Hall of Famer and Miami legend Dwyane Wade had an 8-foot statue in his image unveiled in front of the Heat’s home Kaseya Center on Sunday. Wade became the only player in Miami franchise history to be honored with a statue for his contributions to the organization and city.
After the statue was revealed, fans took to social media to express concerns of its likeness to the three-time NBA champion. Wade, who is active on multiple social media platforms, was asked Monday if he saw any of the criticism around his statue.
“I appreciate all the comments that everyone has because I’m in on the joke, guys,” Wade said. “Like, I laugh all the time. I’m cool. I saw some memes today that I was like, ‘Okay, I got a little Laurence Fishburne lil jawline.’
“You learn how to just laugh, look at it, learn from it and move on. So, we good.”
GO DEEPER
Dwyane Wade statue draws mixed reviews from fans confused by likeness
Omri Amrany and Oscar León of Timeless Creations were the artists who crafted the statue.
“Yeah, I have an iPhone,” Wade said. “On social media, you see all things, man. It’s a lot of talk about me in this world. Y’all gotta know me by now: I care, but I don’t. The social media world is about opinions. Everybody has an opinion. Everyone, use y’all opinions. Please, talk more about us.
“Talk more about our statue — come by and see it to take some photos. Send some memes — we don’t care. It was a special moment … yesterday. I don’t know a lot of people with a statue. Do you? Anybody here? Y’all know anything about the process of a statue? It’s an unbelievable process to be a part of. It’s a complicated process. When I was sitting down with the Miami Heat, what we wanted to do was capture a moment that represented the organization, represented myself and represented the city.”
Talk that talk, @DwyaneWade 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/GLoQUgIe8d
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 28, 2024
The statue depicts Wade jumping on the scorer’s table doing his “This is my house!” celebration after hitting a game-winning 3-pointer in double overtime to defeat his hometown Chicago Bulls in 2009. Wade finished with a game-high 48 points, 12 assists, six rebounds, four steals and three blocks on 15-of-21 shooting and 5-of-6 from 3.
“It’s an artistic version of a moment that happened, that we’re trying to cement,” Wade said. “My family and I just woke up this morning in disbelief … still in disbelief that we were chosen. That I was chosen to be the first person in this organization’s history to have that honor, and it’s an honor.”
(Photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
