Dwyane Wade statue gets facelift after years of mockery
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The original statue (left) compared to the updated version. Photos (left to right): Carmen Mandato/Getty Images; Miami Heat/David Alvarez
Plastic surgery is so prevalent in Miami that even Dwyane Wade's statue got a face lift.
Why it matters: The 8-foot sculpture outside the Heat arena has drawn mockery over the past two years because the face didn't resemble the Hall of Fame player.
Driving the news: The Heat revealed the new and improved statue on Friday to the elation of fans who say it does a far better job depicting Wade, the greatest player in Heat history and the first to be honored with a statue outside the Kaseya Center.
- The new statue appears to be more hyper-realistic, with a more smoothed-out jawline and better-defined facial features.
What they're saying: The three-time NBA champion wrote in a Substack article that he heard the jokes about the statue and initially felt protective of it because he and the artists spent a lot of time designing it.
- But eventually, he realized that the statue doesn't just belong to him, but to his fans.
- He says he asked himself: "If people don't feel that connection when they look at the face, why wouldn't we try to make it better?"
- "So we listened and had honest conversations with everyone involved, and we all agreed to make adjustments to the head."
Wade said the update "isn't about erasing the work that was already done or disrespecting the artists who put their time and talent into creating it," but being willing to listen to constructive criticism.
- "Miami deserves to feel proud of it."
Details: The statue commemorates one of Wade's most iconic moments — a 2009 game-winning shot against his hometown Chicago Bulls.
- He celebrated by leaping onto the scorer's table at the Heat arena and declaring, "This is my house!"
The bottom line: Wade says he hopes fans see themselves in the statue because their passion made that iconic moment possible.
- "Because it may be my likeness, but it will always be our house."