"It's bigger than Shaquille O'Neal": Pat Riley comically announces Dwyane Wade's statue outside Heat arena will measure 8-feet 

Pat Riley and the Miami Heat honored franchise legend Dwyane Wade during halftime of Sunday's home game against the Charlotte Hornets. Wade was inducted into the Hall of Fame last August and the Heat congratulated him with a special ceremony on Sunday.

During the ceremony, Miami president Pat Riley announced that Wade would get his statue outside Kaseya Center, the team's home arena. The statue is expected to be ready within the next eight or nine months.

"I think we are going to put a bobblehead like this one, up there next year. It will be a statue 8-feet tall. We bought it to make sure it is bigger than Shaquille O'Neal and it will be the first statue ever in franchise history and it will be forever for the greatest player in the history of this game," Pat Riley said during the statue announcement.

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Pat Riley says Dwyane Wade's status will 'memorialize his legacy'

After retiring his jersey back in 2020, Pat Riley and the Miami Heat have honored Dwyane Wade once again. Wade is considered the greatest player in franchise history and the Heat continue to honor his legacy.

During the ceremony, Riley said that the statue would help 'memorialize Wade's legacy'.

"When we retired his jersey in February 2020, I said Dwyane was the face of this franchise forever and I meant it. Dwyane’s legacy is a towering one not only for the Miami Heat but for Miami-Wade County. I can’t think of a better way to honor him than by memorializing that legacy," Pat Riley said (via NBA.com).

Dwyane Wade spent the vast majority of his 16-year NBA career with the Miami Heat and won the championship three times (2006, 2012, 2013). He has won the MVP Finals in 2006 and became an All-Star 13 times. He had career averages of 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.

"It is not something I dreamed of, but it is something I definitely grew up knowing about. Michael Jordan had a statue in Chicago. That was the first statue I’ve ever seen," Dwyane Wade said (via the Miami Herald).

In the post-Wade era, the Miami Heat have managed to stay competitive and maintain their contending status in the Eastern Conference. Under coach Erik Spoelstra, who took over in 2008 and recently signed an eight-year extension, the Heat have played in the NBA Finals twice (2020, 2023) and the Eastern Conference Finals three times (2020, 2022, 2023).

With Jimmy Butler leading the way, the Heat are confident they will have another chance of winning the first championship since 2013. Miami is currently fifth in the East with 23 wins and 16 losses.