Former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade joined the ranks of NBA legends honored with a statue outside of their playing arena on Sunday.
The statue, celebrating Wade’s iconic “This is my house!” celebration, has garnered significant social media attention-not all of it positive.
Dwyane Wade is dumbfounded as a blast of fire comes out of his statue in Miami
Wade’s statue stirs debate
While fans noted it might resemble actor Laurence Fishburne more than the Heat legend, Wade has addressed the criticism with both pride and a sense of humor.
The statue commemorates a pivotal 2009 moment when Wade’s game-winning performance against his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls, ended in an emphatic declaration to the crowd, “This is my house!”
According to Wade, the statue was never meant to be an exact likeness but rather a symbolic representation of his career-defining celebration.
“Sitting down with the Miami Heat and myself, what we wanted to do was capture a moment that represented the organization, represented myself, and represented the city,”Wade told reporters.
“We felt like we captured that moment in an artistic form, in an artistic way.”
Wade disregarded remarks about the statue’s resemblance, adding, “If I wanted it to look like me, I would just stand outside the arena, and y’all would take photos. It don’t need to look like me. It’s an artistic version of a moment that happened that we’re trying to cement.”
The artistry behind Dwyane Wade’s statue
The artistic process, as described by sculptor Oscar Leon, was complex and labor-intensive.
The design began with a series of photos, later shaped into a clay model and enhanced with digital tools.
Input from Wade’s inner circle and the Miami Heat executives shaped the final product.
“To the critics, there’s a lot that needs to be understood,” Leon explained.
“The sealer we use creates a glossy effect in areas that might look strange, but it’s necessary to protect the statue’s integrity. Come to Miami and view it in person; there’s so much more to appreciate.”
Despite the statue’s mixed reception online, Wade encouraged fans to see it firsthand, embracing the varied opinions it has sparked.
“The social media world is about opinions. Everyone has an opinion,” he said.
“Please talk more about us. Talk more about the statue. Come out and see it. Take some photos. Send some memes. We don’t care. It was a special moment for my family and me.”
