The Miami Heat will honor franchise legend Dwyane Wade with a statue outside outside the team's home arena later this year.
Heat president Pat Riley announced the news Sunday night as Miamim honored Wade for his recent induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Miami retired Wade's number in Feb. 2020.
“When we retired his jersey in February 2020, I said Dwyane was the face of this franchise forever and I meant it,” Riley said in an official statement. “Dwyane’s legacy is a towering one not only for the Miami HEAT but for Miami-Wade County. I can’t think of a better way to honor him than by memorializing that legacy.”
The unveiling ceremony is scheduled for next fall, though an exact day for said ceremony will be announced at a later date.
Miami has commissioned Omri Amrany and Oscar León to create the bronze statue. Amrany's work includes Michael Jordan's iconic statue in Chicago, as well as statues of Shaquille O’Neal, Dirk Nowitzki and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Wade retired in 2019 following 16 seasons in the NBA, with averages of 22.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. In 15 seasons with Miami, Wade won three championships (2006, 2012, 2013) and one Finals MVP (2006), in addition to eight All-NBA selections (two first-teams, three second-teams, and three third-teams) and 13 All-Star selections.
