Dwyane Wade is inarguably a Miami Heat legend — as the all-time leading scorer in Miami, a 13-time All-Star who won three championships, a Finals MVP, and an inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. And as a way to honor his far-reaching impact on the team and city, a bronze statue in front of the basketball arena seemed like a fitting commemoration. But as usual, it was quickly met with countless internet reactions.
The eight-foot-tall statue was first announced in March by team president Pat Riley as a way to honor Wade — the very first time a Miami Heat player has been given a statue outside the arena. The statue was sculpted by artists Amrany and Oscar León of Fine Art Studio Rotblatt Amrany, who also worked on the Michael Jordan statue “The Spirit” in Chicago and the “Kobe and Gianna Bryant Memorial Statue” in Los Angeles.
Wade seemed quite touched as he stared up at the piece at the ceremony on Sunday — his initial reaction of “That’s crazy. I can’t believe that. Who is that guy?” could be interpreted either way — but social media was already erupting with commentary before he even gave his speech. The main sentiment is that the piece doesn’t actually resemble him, and others were simply about the distinctive facial expression/pose.
Even Secret Miami commenters seemed to agree when we posted the video of the reveal…
Here are some of the other hot takes online, which, though it may be a little harsh, are nonetheless entertaining:
People are already comparing it to other infamous athlete statues like Cristiano Ronaldo’s, so perhaps it’s just a casualty of the sports world.
The artist Amrany responded to the critics earlier today, saying, “Some people will come with a goofy response or angry response. That’s not because of what the art is itself, but rather how it makes them feel. So, if this is my part of being a psychologist, fine.” He also insisted Wade was very happy with the end result of the piece.