By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Miami Heat organization recently announced that they will unveil a Dwyane Wade bronze statue outside the Kaseya Center to honor the star that gave them three NBA championship titles.
Aside from Wade’s statue celebration, Miami will also dedicate its halftime period where the Hall of Famer will address the fans in line with the 21st anniversary of his NBA debut in a scheduled game against the Detroit Pistons.
“Our franchise GOAT getting basketball’s ultimate honor. Be here when the @DwyaneWade statue is officially unveiled,” the Miami Heat social media team posted.
Drafted by the Heat as the fifth overall pick during the 2003 NBA Rookie Draft, Wade quickly showed an impact to the organization after averaging 16.2 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game.
Despite being a neophyte in the big boys’ league, Wade showed he was ready for the spotlight, proving his doubters wrong when he capped off his first season as one of the best-performing rookies in the history of the league.
Wade finally unleashed his true potential during the 2004-2005 NBA season when the Heat landed Shaquille O’Neal in a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers.
As soon as the imposing big man got to Miami, everything was history for the 1-2 punch as they helped the Heat clinch their first NBA title since arriving in the league.
Wade would deliver two more NBA titles to Miami in 2012 and 2013 and retired from professional basketball in 2019.
In his illustrious NBA career, Wade was able to make the All-Star team 13 times and was hailed as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) during the 2006 series against Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks.
Miami retired Wade’s jersey in 2020 and three years later, solidified his legendary status in the NBA when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame together with San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, and Nowitzki.
“When we retired his jersey in February 2020, I said Dwyane was the face of this franchise forever and I meant it. 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,” said Miami President Pat Riley.
