Social Media reaction from iconic Dwyane Wade statue

When Dwyane Wade was drafted to the Miami Heat in 2003, nobody, including himself, envisioned just how much he would mean to the city of South Florida. As the organization unveiled an 8-foot statue to be placed outside the home arena, it was the final chapter of an iconic Hall of Fame career. 

The list of accolades are impressive, headlined by three NBA champions, 13 All-Star selections and 8 All-NBA nods to say a few. But Wade’s forever immortalization in Miami history goes beyond the court. He provided so much both on and off the court during his 15-year Heat tenure. 

The community fully embraced him as a historic figure, and he embraced them right back. 

Udonis Haslem also went on to tell Wade in the ceremony, “you made this city better. Today you are officially 305 for life.” The event featured words from Haslem, Pat Riley and his son, Zaire Wade prior to the infamous countdown to the unveiling. The statue features details such as the left shoe heel with his mother’s name and right with his father’s name.

The sole of the bottom right shoe says “RIP Hank”, along with signature knee pads, red gum in the mouth and a wristband on his left hand with the address of his childhood home.

However, the figure has paved a way for some social media controversy:

Regardless of the mixed opinions, Wade was all smiles throughout the entire event. He mentioned to the media that it is “one of the dopest moments” of his entire life. His gratitude and admiration for the Heat was repeatedly noted in his speech and media session. 

There were hours and days of hard work put in on the sculpture, by artists who also worked on the statues of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and many others. 

When asked about his first thoughts when it came out, Wade’s eyes lit up in pure joy, saying “I was just like ‘that’s beautiful.’ Personally, biased, I think it’s one of the best statues that’s been created.”

In this current era of social media, there is always room for mixed opinions and comments. But at the end of the day, this gesture meant a lot to Wade and the appreciation was noted. He will now forever be immortalized as the best Heat player of all-time.