The Miami Heat honored one of the NBA’s all-time best shooting guards in Dwyane Wade through a statue unveiling on Sunday. Likewise, the statue celebrated his game-winning shot against the Chicago Bulls in 2009, when he stepped onto the announcer’s table and yelled, “This is my house!” After the unveiling, Dwyane Wade shared a wholesome moment with his daughter, posing for photos with the statue.

Check out the Heat legend taking photos of her daughter, Kaavia James, with the statue via this post from ClutchPoints on X, formerly Twitter.

The Heat honor a legend

Former Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade is honored with 'Dwayne Wade Blvd' at halftime during a game against the Detroit Pistons at Kaseya Center.
© Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Besides his moment with his daughter, Dwyane Wade’s statue earned global notoriety for not looking like him at all. Still, the Hall of Famer defended the sculptors’ work on Monday.

“If I wanted it to look like me, I’d just stand outside the arena and y’all can take photos,” Wade said, via a report from the Associated Press. “It don’t need to look like me. It’s the artistic version of a moment that happened that we’re trying to cement.”

Moreover, while responding to the flurry of jokes and memes about the statue spreading on social media, Wade didn’t seem to mind becoming the object of the humor.

“I care, but I don’t. The social media world is about opinions. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone, use y’all opinions. Please talk more about us. Talk more about a statue, come on down to see it, take some photos, send some memes. We don’t care,” he added.

During halftime of the Heat-Pistons game on Monday, the Heat legend also received the honor of having a street named after him, called “Dwyane Wade Boulevard.” Still, Wade continued to defend the statue.

“There’s only a few organizations with a statue outside. There’s not even 15 players who played this game of basketball that have a statue outside…. So, for me to be the vessel that’s used, to be the chosen one, I’m proud of it,” he said.

Legacy

Throughout his 15 seasons with the Heat, Dwyane Wade has won three championships, winning Finals MVP in 2006, and claiming back to back titles with the Heatles in 2012 and 2013. As one of the best two-way guards in NBA history, he also entered the Hall of Fame in 2023.

After Wade’s retirement, the Heat returned to the NBA Finals twice, though they fell short both times. While it looks like their title window has closed again, the team looks to maximize Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo as they push to win another championship.