"Wade made my entire career" - Former Heat coach refrains from mocking Dwyane Wade's statue tribute by Miami

Former Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy has steered clear of mocking Dwyane Wade's statue outside Kaseya Center for a specific reason. Van Gundy appeared as a guest on the "Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" on Tuesday, where he discussed his gratitude for how Wade helped his coaching career.

Van Gundy was Miami's head coach during Wade's rookie season (2003-04), leading the team to a 42-win record.

Given his relationship with his former player, Van Gundy couldn't bring himself to criticize the infamous statue the Heat organization dedicated to Wade. The former head coach said:

"To me, I listened to what Dwyane said, and I like the fact that he really focused on the honor of having a statue there and not on, 'Is it the greatest likeness or anything else'," Van Gundy said. "I think he really took it as an honor and didn't want anything to take away from that honor.

"I have refrained from laughing about or commenting on it — I'm not going to laugh because Dwyane Wade made my entire career... I go home to my house every night and open the door, a nice house, and say, 'Thank you, Dwyane Wade.'"

Van Gundy and Wade led the Heat to the second round of the playoffs in their first season together but were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in six games.

They continued to work together until Wade’s third season. However, Pat Riley took over as head coach after Van Gundy stepped down in the middle of the 2005-06 campaign. Given Van Gundy's success with the Heat, he was sought after by other teams, including the Orlando Magic in 2007 and the Detroit Pistons in 2014.

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Dwyane Wade's close friend had a hilarious reaction to his statue

Not everyone was a fan of the outcome of Dwyane Wade's statue, including his close friend Carmelo Anthony. On Nov. 8, Anthony appeared as a guest on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon." While on the show, the former NBA star talked about his humorous reaction to Wade's statue.

"I went to the actual ceremony, so I didn't see it, because I was sitting on the side," Anthony recalled to Fallon. "I got back to the hotel, and somebody sent me a screenshot of it, and I was like, oh, no, we got the wrong thing. This is not (Wade)!"

Anthony quipped that Wade "loved the process" of making the statue that he forgot about the outcome. However, the former Heat star seems content with how his statue turned out.