"Who's that guy?" - Dwyane Wade quips about his statue’s design during its unveiling at Miami’s Kaseya Center
Dwyane Wade finally got something that he always deserved. The Miami Heat legend got his Heat statue outside the Kaseya Center. While it was an emotional moment on Sunday for the Hall of Fame player, it didn't stop him from cracking jokes at the statue's unveiling.
After the statute was unveiled, Wade took the podium to deliver his speech. Even before he could start, he looked behind and made a hilarious remark.
"That's crazy," Wade said. "I can't believe it. Who is that guy?"
Wade became the first player in Miami Heat history to have his statue outside the arena. He also got a street near the Heat arena named after him.
Dwyane Wade had one of the greatest NBA careers in history. He retired as one of the greatest Miami Heat players of all time. While the 13-time All-Star played with other teams like the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers, his stint with the Heat remains one for the history books.
He played 17 NBA seasons,15 for Miami. In those 15 seasons, Wade helped the franchise win three NBA titles and become a dominant force in the early 2010s.
Dwyane Wade delivers a masterful full speech on his statue unveiling
Dwyane Wade's greatness didn't just lie on the basketball court. He was always careful with his words and spoke with class when he was in front of a mic. He did not disappoint on his status unveiling day at the Kaseya Center.
In his speech, Wade spoke about the legacy that he wanted to leave behind. His words were true to what the Heat team has always stood for, a house of the united army.
"I don't have a vision of what my legacy is," Wade said. "You have to develop a philosophy. It's an image of a desired state that you wanna get to. A house divided against itself will not stand. ... You are either in or you out.
"You wanna be considered the only ones to do what you do. You want to leave something behind that people can follow and people can hold on to."
After being drafted by the Miami Heat in 2003, it took the NBA legend only three years to lead his team to a title in 2006, topping the Dallas Mavericks. He won his first and only NBA Finals MVP. Dwyane Wade won his second and third titles in two consecutive seasons (2011-12 and 2012-13). Wade also became a scoring champion in 2009 with the Heat.
In Miami, Wade played 948 games averaging 22.7 points per game and shooting 48.3% shooting, including 29.0% from the 3-point line. He also averaged 4.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.