Heat's statue of Dwyane Wade ridiculed on social media after its unveiling: 'Terrible execution'

Kathleen William October 28, 2024

The Miami Heat unveiled their new statue of Hall of Famer and franchise great Dwyane Wade in front of the Kaseya Center on Sunday.

While it's a true honor to have a statue outside of an arena, the statue has gone viral for all the wrong reasons.

Wade was present at the spectacle outside the arena when the curtain was finally drawn to reveal the statue, and it didn't bear the greatest resemblance to No. 3.

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Former Miami Heat player Dwayne Wade acknowledges the fans and cameras after a special ceremony during halftime of the game between the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets at the Kaseya Center. (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)

The statue was created to immortalize one of Wade's most famous moments in his Heat career, when he shouted, “This is my house!” After hitting a game-winning shot in the second overtime against the Chicago Bulls in March 2009, Wade famously jumped onto the scorer's table, where he addressed the crowd with his signature line.

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However, social media began to flood with criticism of the statue.

“Why can’t we get statues of people…that look like the people they’re supposed to represent. Nobody sees Dwyane Wade here,” one X user wrote.

“It's a nice gesture, but terrible execution. Dwyane deserves a better statue,” another user wrote.

Some even compared this statue to that of Cristiano Ronaldo, another viral moment after his bronze bust was brutalized at the airport in his hometown of Madeira, Portugal.

Dwyane Wade looks on at the unveiling of the Dwyane Wade statue at the Kaseya Center on October 27, 2024 in Miami. (Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

Fox Sports panelist Rachel Nichols captured the moment Wade looked at the statue and said, “That's out of body, y'all,” understanding that this moment and the statue will stay with generations of Heat fans .

While Wade and his family seemed thrilled and happy with the statue, some believe the Heat should redo it to better resemble their franchise.

Wade spent all but one of his 16 years in the NBA with the Heat, helping them win three NBA Finals. The 13-time All-Star and eight-time All-NBA honoree was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023.