Dwyane Wade roasts his statue with a witty comment: "Got a little Laurence Fishburne lower jaw line"

The Miami Heat unveiled Dwyane Wade's statue on Sunday to honor an all-time great career. Wade’s iconic game-winning shot in overtime against the Chicago Bulls in 2009 now greets basketball fans in front of the Kaseya Center. While that legendary moment was perfectly captured, the face, has become a talking point.

Wade told reporters in an interview that “We don’t care” about fans' opinions on social media. He encouraged people to “take some photos, send some memes” and would gladly welcome it.

Miami Heat insider Ira Winderman had this to report on Monday about Dwyane Wade’s comments on the trolling:

"I appreciate all the comments that everyone has about it, because I'm in on the joke, guys. Like I laugh all the time. Like I'm cool. I saw some memes today that I was like, 'Yeah, it kind of got a little Laurence Fishburne lower jawline.' "

The 2006 NBA Finals MVP had a more defiant tone when previously asked about the backlash from fans.

“If I wanted it to look like me, I would just stand outside the arena, you'all would take photos. It don't need to look like me. It's an artistic version of a moment that happened."

The trolling isn’t likely to go away soon as the Miami Heat have just started the 2024-25 NBA season. Fans who visit the Kaseya Center for Heat home games will inevitably see the statue.

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Dwyane Wade pushes back against critics of the artists who created his statue

Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt Amrany, based in Illinois, built Dwyane Wade’s statue. The company also created Michael Jordan’s iconic sculpture outside the United Center in Chicago. Studio Rotblatt Amrany had erected statues of other iconic athletes such as Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Dirk Nowitzki, Magic Johnson and others.

Wade took the flak on the chin but defended the artists in a chat with reporters:

"Every time they create something, someone has to come out and say something about their creation. They cannot do what they do.”

Dwyane Wade added that as a former athlete, he was subjected to the same criticism and lambasting but has learned to ignore them. He just wished fans would be more appreciative of artists tasked with capturing in one statue the lifetime work of an athlete.