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Dwyane Wade's Statue Gets New Face After Criticism
Confirmed
In Short: Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade's statue outside the arena received an updated face following widespread criticism of the original.
Wade, in a post on Substack, acknowledged he had heard the jokes and seen the memes about the statue since its unveiling two years ago.
The original statue, which debuted on the 21st anniversary of Wade's first game with the Heat, was widely panned for its unrecognizable likeness.
Wade wrote, 'So we listened. We went back to work. And we made the adjustments.'
The Heat franchise's all-time leading scorer, Wade won three NBA championships and was a 13-time All-Star.
Wade emphasized, 'It may be my likeness, but it will always be our house.' He also noted, 'If I wanted it to look like me, I'd just stand outside the arena and y'all can take photos.'
Wade expressed pride in the new statue, stating, 'I'm proud because we worked very, very, very hard to create an image that will stand for a very long time that expresses what the Miami Heat, my family, and our fan base is about.'
Sculptors enhanced Wade's face to be more lifelike after the statue's original form in 2024 was met with online jokes and widespread negativity.
The Heat posted photos of the new, improved statue on Friday, not long before Wade’s essay went public.
Wade wrote, 'This isn't about erasing the work that was already done or disrespecting the artists who put their time and talent into creating it. It's about being willing to listen.'
What's confirmed
- "So we listened. We went back to work. And we made the adjustments," Wade wrote.
- Mindful of criticism that started coming in waves immediately after the statue outside the arena where the Miami Heat play was unveiled in his honor two years ago, Wade revealed Friday that he consented to having a new head made for the piece.
- "It's about recognizing when something carries meaning for more people than just yourself and being open enough to revisit it."
- "So, we listened and had honest conversations with everyone involved, and we all agreed to make adjustments to the head."
- "This isn't about erasing the work that was already done or disrespecting the artists who put their time and talent into creating it. It's about being willing to listen," Wade wrote.
- The original statue was widely panned because the face bore almost no resemblance to Wade, who spent the majority of his Basketball Hall of Fame career starring for the Heat and was a major part of Miami's three NBA championship teams.
- "I had to ask myself a pretty simple question: 'If people don't feel that connection when they look at the face, why wouldn't we try to make it better?'" Wade wrote in an essay published Friday.
- Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade walks on the court during a time out while watching an NBA basketball game between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks, Monday, Oct.
- MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade has a new face — on his statue.
- The Heat posted photos of the new, improved statue on Friday, not long before Wade’s essay went public.
What's still developing
- "It don't need to look like me. It's the artistic version of a moment that happened that we're trying to cement."
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