In Photos: First look at Dwyane Wade's "This Is My House" custom sneaker unveiled by Li-Ning to celebrate Heat legend's statue
Dwyane Wade cemented himself in Miami Heat basketball history after a statue of him was unveiled at the Kaseya Center on Sunday. To celebrate the occasion, Chinese sportswear giant Li-Ning unveiled a special version of the Way of Wade 11 sneakers.
Nick DePaula reported the news on X, formerly Twitter, for his 72.7K followers. According to his post, the custom shoes are called "This Is My House" Way of Wade 11. The sneaker honors the legacy of Dwyane Wade and his illustrious career in the NBA.
The kicks carry the signature design language of the Way of Wade 11 sneakers. The main body of the shoe carries a white-creamy tone with miniature black dots running from the collar lining to the outsole of the shoe. Only the vamp and laces of the sneaker are devoid of the black dots and have a satin-like finish.
The signature Way of Wade 11 print runs through the foxing of the sneaker to the swoosh. The print is in a shiny golden color and complements the white color of the main body of the shoe. The tongue of the kicks carries the logo of Wade's silhouette, his autograph and the iconic years from his career, while the laces bear the "This Is My House" inscription.
DePaula's post also featured a picture of the special box that the sneaker comes in. The shoe box opens up from the middle in three ways and carries a big D-Wade artwork in the front. Moreover, the left section of the box also lists the career achievements of the Miami Heat icon.
Dwyane Wade gives an emotional speech about "believing in your dream" during his statue unveiling
The Miami Heat gave Dwyane Wade an incredible honor and unveiled his statue to the public in an unveiling ceremony on Sunday. During the ceremony, D-Wade gave an emotional speech about highlighting the importance of believing in one's dreams.
"When you're growing, you're young, people don't believe in you," Wade said. "They don't believe in your dreams, think about it if I told somebody, 'Hey, my dream is to go in the NBA, win three NBA championships, have 13 All-Star appearances, play with some of the greatest players ever, have a statue one day, be in the hall of fame, have a jersey retirement, travel the world, you think somebody was gonna tell me that was gonna happen?
"No one is gonna believe in your dream unless they see you working toward that dream."
Dwyane Wade had an incredible career in the NBA, where he cemented himself as one of the greatest shooting guards to have ever stepped foot on the hardwood. He retired from professional basketball on April 16, 2019, from the Miami Heat, where it all began for him.