A recently unveiled statue of NBA star Dwyane Wade has faced criticism from some social media users who claim it is ‘completely unrecognizable’.
The statue was revealed on October 27 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, honoring the Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade. The unveiling event featured the 8ft bronze statue being revealed amid smoke, cheers, and even flames for added drama.
As the smoke cleared, the statue depicted a figure in a Miami Heat jersey with the number three, arms raised, fingers pointing downward, and an open-mouthed expression. This pose is said to commemorate a significant moment in Wade’s career from March 9, 2009, during his sixth NBA season when he scored a memorable shot.
The base of the statue bears the words “This is my house!”—a phrase Wade famously shouted after that game-winning shot in 2009.
Despite the coverage of the statue’s unveiling and Wade’s attendance, some social media users have expressed difficulty in recognizing it as representing the basketball star.
One user on Twitter remarked: “Trying to replicate an emotional expression like that is a great idea but should’ve stayed an idea.”
Barstool Sports added: “Dwyane Wade’s Heat career -15 seasons -3 championships -All-time leader in points, games, assists, and steals -1 completely unrecognizable statue.”
Another commenter humorously noted, “I loved the @Avengers! This Thanos statue is.”
Further reactions included: “Who approved this?????” and “Why are statues so hard!? We’ve only been doing it since the beginning of EVERYTHING!”
Someone else wondered: “Congrats to Dwade but who is the sculptor?”
The sculptors, Oscar León and Omri Amrany, discussed their experience creating the statue. León explained to WSVN that they aimed to surpass their previous work in terms of design and execution.
The sculpture consists of approximately ‘700 to 800 pounds of clay’, with one of the key challenges being to depict Wade as if he were ‘up in the air’.
Wade actively participated in the creation process, offering feedback and suggestions for adjustments to the statue.
“I’m very vain, and so, if my eyebrow was off a little bit, I was letting them know,” Wade commented.
Despite some changes, León stated that Wade was ‘very happy’ with the final product.
“By that last visit, he had basically seen everything he wanted to see. We made all the adjustments he wanted,” León said.
During a news conference, Wade expressed his approval, stating: “I’m biased, but I think it’s one of the best statues that’s been created because of what it represents for us and for me,” as quoted by the Miami Herald.
Ultimately, if Wade is satisfied with the statue, that may be what truly matters.