Dwyane Wade got major love from the NBA world after it was announced that the Miami Heat organization will build him his own statue.
Pat Riley announced that the Miami Heat will build a statue for Dwyane Wade later in the year 🙌 pic.twitter.com/pGtu9RUyyI
— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) January 15, 2024
Terry Rozier on being in the building on the night the Heat honored his idol, Dwyane Wade.
"Full circle moment… it was dope to see it." pic.twitter.com/J34drlTDoS
— Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg) January 15, 2024
Jaime Jaquez Jr. on @DwyaneWade getting a statue: no one deserves it more than him. He’s a huge inspiration to me growing up. He’s one of my favorite players of all time. pic.twitter.com/HPeQ2Vykj0
— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) January 15, 2024
Wade was drafted by the Heat with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and spent 15 seasons playing for the storied franchise. During that span, he was named an All-Star 13 times, won a scoring title in the 2008-09 season and helped lead the Heat to three titles in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
The 41-year-old won his first title in just his third season in the NBA. The 2005-06 iteration of the Heat were led by Wade along with Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal arguably wasn’t as dominant of a player as he was when he was with the Los Angeles Lakers, but he was still one of the league’s best centers.
The Heat beat Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in six games in the 2006 NBA Finals. Wade ended up winning the Finals MVP award after he averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game during the championship series while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor.
Wade’s final two titles during his career with the Heat came when he was playing alongside two of the league’s best players in LeBron James and Chris Bosh. On top of winning two titles while playing with James and Bosh, Wade reached the NBA Finals in each of his four seasons with them.
After spending some time playing for the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers later in his career, Wade played his last NBA season with the Heat. Across 72 appearances during the 2018-19 regular season, he averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
Considering all that Wade accomplished both individually and collectively during his time playing for the Heat, he is more than deserving of his own statue. After all, he boasts arguably the most impressive resume of any player in the history of the franchise.
