In a monumental gesture to immortalize the legacy of the Miami Heat’s superstar, Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat is set to make history by unveiling a bronze statue outside the Kaseya Center later this year.
This honoring gesture comes as a fitting tribute to the player who not only defined an era for the Heat but also left an inerasable mark on the entire Miami-Wade County.
Why is Miami Heat planning to build a statue of Dwyane Wade?
The basketball icon Dwyane Wade’s impact on the Miami Heat franchise is nothing short of legendary. Wade has had a prolific career with the Heat, which spanned a total of 15 seasons. The star player took on a pivotal role in securing three NBA championships for the team, firmly writing down his name in the annals of NBA history.
Wade’s commitment to the franchise has been enormous, and the Heat president, Pat Riley, disclosed that the team has chosen to honor him with a monument that will stand outside the Kaseya Center. The choice was made public to the crowd during a ceremony at halftime, to loud cheers and applause.
“When we retired his jersey in February 2020, I said Dwyane was the face of this franchise forever and I meant it. Dwyane’s legacy is a towering one not only for the Miami Heat but for Miami-Wade County. I can’t think of a better way to honor him than by memorializing that legacy,” Pat Riley said via NBA.com.
While announcing it, Riley also humorously mentioned, “I think we are going to put a bobblehead like this one, up there next year. It will be a statue 8-feet tall. We bought it to make sure it is bigger than Shaquille O’Neal and it will be the first statue ever in franchise history and it will be forever for the greatest player in the history of this game.”
Wade’s monument is set to be unveiled in the autumn of 2024, causing a great surge of enthusiasm among supporters worldwide, as well as Wade himself.
“It is not something I dreamed of, but it is something I definitely grew up knowing about. Michael Jordan had a statue in Chicago. That was the first statue I’ve ever seen,” Dwyane Wade said via the Miami Herald.
The bronze statue is in the artistic hands of famous sculptors like Omri Amrany and Oscar Leon, who are renowned for their work on other iconic statues of basketball legends like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Dwyane Wade reacts to getting an 8 foot statue
Beyond the retired jersey and the Hall of Fame induction, Dwyane Wade’s remarkable contribution to the Miami Heat is now going to be remembered in an extraordinary way; An 8-foot bronze statue right outside the Kaseya Center.
Wade, who is rarely lost of words, was left speechless after this unexpected announcement. This surprising news arose the entire crowd with cheers and appreciation for the Heat Organization and the legend himself.
The statue intends to be larger than life. It aims to recognize Wade as the sole player in the entire Heat history to have a statue that graces the arena’s exterior.
Wade conveyed an emotional response to the announcement that still resonates with fans, teammates, and even Head Coach Erik Spoelstra, who described the moment as “goosebumps”.
“It’s not something I dreamed of, but it’s something I definitely grew up knowing about” Wade continued saying, “Jordan had a statue in Chicago. That was the first statue I’ve ever seen, so to be able to be at this point in my life where I know that the same feeling I had when Jordan had his statue is the same feeling that young kids will have coming, getting an opportunity to visit mine, families will have, being able to create memories and moments.
Wade concludes his statement in gratitude by saying, “I’m not the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball, but you can’t tell me that or nobody in Miami that when I come here, I feel like the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball when I step into this arena, when I step into this city or state.”
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