There has been a buzz around the recently unveiled statue of NBA legend Dwyane Wade. The statue was unveiled by the Miami Heat on Sunday as a token of appreciation outside the Kaseya Center in Miami to commemorate his legacy with the organization.
According to NBC News, Wade is the first Miami Heat player to have a statue outside the arena. The 42-year-old expressed his joy at the unveiling, saying, “This is crazy. 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.”
He added, “I didn’t play for this. I didn’t pick up the basketball for this. I picked up the basketball to change my family’s life.”
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Though a lovely show of respect to Wade, who, according to Sports Illustrated, was a vital player of the Heat’s three titles in 2006, 2012, and 2013, as well as the NBA Finals MVP trophy in 2006, netizens believe the statue does not do him justice.
The piece, created by Omri Amrany and Oscar León of Timeless Creations, has been the subject of heated remarks over how the player’s face doesn’t resemble the artwork.
Whether Wade was expressing admiration for seeing himself in statue form or disbelief that the statue does not look like him, his own remark regarding the statue, “Who’s that guy?” had internet users in hysterics.
The responses ranged from criticizing the designers’ “shoddy work” to asking, “Did a legend dirty with this one, like did they even look at a picture of him before they sculpted it?”
Others praised the pose, which was a parody of Wade’s dynamic, arms-up pose from his 15 years in the NBA, pointing out, “Bro, please fix the face. How they get the other details right and mess up the face this hard?”
Others, meanwhile, demanded a complete reconstruction of the statue. One even suggested that fans could donate the funds, saying, “Miamian here. @dwyanewade was not only a great player, he was also an incredible member of our community. Oh and he is a fine looking man. This thing looks nothing like him. We need to do right by him, even if we have to crowd-source a replacement.”
Still, others praised the NBA legend for the award, which is a reminder of his accomplishments over the years.
