Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade's bronze statue outside the Kaseya Center has received a facelift after the original 2024 unveiling drew widespread online jokes and negative reactions. The updated sculpture, revealed on October 30, 2026, features enhanced facial details intended to be more lifelike.
Wade, the franchise's all-time leading scorer, three-time NBA champion, 13-time All-Star, and Basketball Hall of Fame member, addressed the revision in a Substack post. He acknowledged hearing the jokes and seeing the memes but defended the initial work, noting the statue "also belongs to Miami." Wade wrote: "So we listened. We went back to work. And we made the adjustments. I hope when people see it now, they see a better likeness of me. But more than that, I hope they see themselves. Because it may be my likeness, but it will always be our house."
The statue commemorates Wade's iconic moment after hitting a game-winning shot against the Chicago Bulls in double overtime during the 2009 season, when he stood on a courtside table and declared, "This is my house." The original statue debuted on the 21st anniversary of Wade's first game with the Heat. At the time, Wade expressed pride in being among the few NBA players honored with a statue outside an arena, saying, "We -- we -- have a statue outside. So, for me to be the vessel that's used, to be the chosen one, I'm proud of it."
