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Dwyane Wade has achieved a historic milestone as the first Miami Heat player to have a statue outside of the team's arena. The statue was unveiled on Sunday, following an announcement by team president Pat Riley eight months ago. Wade, a 13-time All-Star and the all-time leading scorer for the Heat, has left a lasting impact on the franchise. Alongside Udonis Haslem, he is one of the only players to have been a part of all three Heat teams that secured NBA championships. Despite this impressive accolade, some of his fans are unsure if the statue is a fitting tribute to the basketball legend.

The Dwyane Wade statue was unveiled on Sunday.

Photograph: Michael Laughlin/AP

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“This is crazy,” Wade said at the unveiling. “I wanted to feel this. Life goes by so fast and it’s very rare that we get to feel things, because we’re always off to the next thing. ... I wanted to feel this, man. I wanted to look at it.”

Others were less that gushing about the statue, which bears only a passing resemblance to Wade, and compared it to an infamous rendering of Cristiano Ronaldo that attracted widespread ridicule.

“Man who the hell is this??? The Miami Heat did Dwyane Wade filthy with this statue lmao,” one user wrote on social media.

When Pat Riley won’t give you max money so you have to sign with the Bulls pic.twitter.com/KaUE5Bu0Rs

— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) October 27, 2024

Another referenced Wade’s move to the Chicago Bulls towards the end of his career. “When Pat Riley won’t give you max money so you have to sign with the Bulls,” they wrote.

Others suggested the statue looked more like the actor Laurence Fishburne than Wade.

Miami Heat did Dwyane Wade dirty pic.twitter.com/ZRIPoNhxFA

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) October 27, 2024

Wade, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, is one of six former Heat players to have their number retired by the team – along with Haslem, Chris Bosh, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning.

“As the greatest player ever in Miami Heat history, yes, it’s his day, it’s his family’s day,” Riley said.

The statue is accompanied by a wall listing Wade’s career accomplishments and has been placed outside the front doors of the team’s arena. Wade is now a part-owner of the Utah Jazz in addition to having many other business interests.