‘Who is that guy?’: Statue of Dwyane Wade draws negative reactions from fans

The newly unveiled statue of Dwyane Wade is attracting plenty of attention, though perhaps not for the reasons the Miami Heat anticipated.
Wade is the first Heat player to have his legacy immortalized with a statue outside Miami’s Kaseya Center, according to The Associated Press. He is also one of only six team members to have his jersey number retired.
“This is crazy,” Wade said in a speech during the event. “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.”
However, the moment was marred somewhat by the negative reaction from many fans, some of whom say the statue looks nothing like Wade.
Comparisons have been drawn to the much-criticized sculpture of soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo unveiled in 2017 at Madeira Airport, which was later redone after widespread ridicule.
The statue captures an iconic moment from Wade’s 2009 game against the Chicago Bulls, known as the “This is my house” game.
In that game, Wade scored 48 points, recorded 12 assists, four steals, and two blocks. But the defining moment came when, in the final seconds of double overtime, Wade stole the ball and made a three-point shot at the buzzer, breaking the tie and securing a victory for the Heat.
Upon making the shot, Wade climbed onto a table and chanted to the crowd while pointing to himself, “This is my house!”
Wade retired from the NBA after the 2018-19 season, playing for a total of 16 years. The NBA describes the statue ceremony as a final honor for “the greatest player in Miami Heat history.”
A wall accompanying the statue is engraved with his career highlights with the Heat, including his status as the team’s highest-scoring player, per NBC News.
In the video of the unveiling, Wade appeared pleased at the statue, walking around and admiring it as the barriers were finally pulled aside. He nodded at the statue and remarked, “It looks good.”
While Wade expressed gratitude for the honor, online reactions were less favorable, with many fans quick to criticize the statue’s likeness. A comment from Wade’s speech seemed to resonate with fans’ sentiments.
“That’s crazy,” Wade said. “I can’t believe that. Who is that guy?”
Wade may have intended the comment as one of amazement, but fans have been using it to voice their own confusion.
A viral post on X reads, “Who is that guy? We’re all wondering the same thing, man.”
Jeff Darlington, an ESPN reporter, also expressed confusion about the statue in a post on X: “The Miami Heat should’ve had a contest where they showed this picture to 1,000 fans — and anyone who guesses it’s Dwyane Wade gets to keep the statue.”