Over the weekend, Dwyane Wade received the ultimate honor — a bronze statue! Commemorating his legacy for years to come, it was unveiled outside of the Kaseya Center this weekend. Wade is the first player in Heat history to immortalized with such an honor.
The statue, standing at 8 feet, was created by sculptors Amrany and Oscar León of Fine Art Studio Rotblatt Amrany. Their works include the iconic “Michael Jordan Spirit” in Chicago and the recently unveiled “Kobe and Gianna Bryant Memorial Statue” in Los Angeles, among many others.
This is an incredible tribute for one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history; a 13-time All-Star who won three championships, a Finals MVP in 2006 and has a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. His career spanned 16 seasons — 15 of them played in Miami — and he’ll be the first player in Heat history to receive a statue.
Dwyane Wade statue unveiled
The official unveiling took place on Sunday, October 27 at 5 p.m., and featured performances by Rick Ross and Nino Breeze. Fans were treated to a first look at the bronze sculpture on the Kaseya Center West Plaza. Those who were unable to attend, were able to watch the festivities during a live stream.
Wade was joined by the team, president Pat Riley, head coach Erik Spoelstra, managing general partner Micky Arison and CEO Nick Arison.
Indeed, Dwayne Wade seemed to be in awe of art piece, “that’s crazy”, he remarked, “I can’t believe that. Who is that guy?”
While speaking, he highlighted wanting to be present in the moment, “I wanted to feel this. Life goes by so fast and it’s very rare that we get to feel things because we’re always off to the next thing.”
“So I didn’t prepare much because I wanted to feel this, man. I wanted to look at it.”
Immediately after the statue was unveiled, it went viral on social media with some fans critiquing its likeness to Wade.
However, one local reporter posted a photo on X noting that in person, “it looks much better than the pictures.”
Needless to say, this is a monumental achievement for Wade, who was recognized during the ceremony as “the best player in franchise history.”
Let the celebration continue
The celebration will continue the next day, during the Miami Heat’s October 28 game against the Detroit Pistons. Wade will address the crowd during a special halftime presentation, marking 21 years to the day after he made his debut with the Heat.
News of the statue first came in January, during the player’s Hall of Fame night.
“Dwyane’s legacy is a towering one not only for the Miami Heat but for Miami-Wade County,” said Heat president Pat Riley. “I can’t think of a better way to honor him than by memorializing that legacy.”
Riley surprised Wade with the news, who couldn’t hold back his tears saying, “I didn’t dream of this… I’m very grateful.”
📍 Location: 601 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132