Miami Heat Enhance Dwyane Wade's Status Two Years Since the Unveil

In October of 2024, the Miami Heat officially unveiled the statue of Hall of Famer and franchise legend Dwyane Wade; however, the final results weren't met with applause and praise, but rather disappointment, backlash, and criticism.

The creators were Omri Amrany and Oscar Leon of Rotblatt Amrany Studio. They first used clay models in the process of designing the statue before casting it in bronze. Wade was involved in making it with Amrany and Leon.

However, the statue didn't receive the approval of fans. During its unveiling, the face sparked controversy. As the pose was inspired by the "This is My House" moment, which occurred in 2009, Wade's statue made him appear older and rusty. Some would say it didn't resemble the 13-time All-Star.

Once the noise had died down, not much was made of it, until recently.

The Heat revealed that Wade's face portion of the statue had been redone and enhanced. It's a better resemblance to him than the original portrayal. Wade admitted on Substack that he was defensive about the criticism and backlash on the day of the unveiling.

"At first, it was hard not to feel protective of it because I had spent so much time involved in the process," Wade wrote. "I knew the work, care, and intention that had gone into creating the entire statue, and because of that, I felt a real connection to it."

However, while taking a step back and time to reflect, the 44-year-old understood it wasn't just a statue, it was something meaningful to the local South Florida fans.

"It belongs to the fans who were there throughout my career and the people who still stop outside the arena every day to take a picture with it," he added. "It belongs to the families who make it part of their trip to a Heat game and the kids who weren’t even alive for some of those moments but know what that pose represents."

Wade alluded to the process being different this time around, as the face was the main and only focus. It's the first statue established outside of the Kaseya Center, formerly and more popularly known as American Airlines Arena. Wade is proud of that accomplishment and wants locals to feel that same pride.

It sets an example and standard for the next statues to be made, whether that's Alonzo Mourning, Udonis Haslem, or potentially LeBron James.

Wade is undisputedly the best player in Heat history. He's been a part of all three of the franchise's championships in 2006, 2012, and 2013. The first one is when Wade established himself in the league. In six games, he averaged 34.7 points on 46.8 percent shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.7 steals, and a block in 43.5 minutes. Wade became the Heat's first-ever Finals MVP.

For a franchise that had fallen short of multiple championship attempts, the Chicago (IL) native answered the call.

Seven NBA seasons have passed since Wade retired in 2019 and it's only right for a Hall of Fame career to be honored with a pristine statue. It's been done and the fans approve.

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