Dwyane Wade may be retired from the NBA, but he’s still being given his flowers for his iconic sports contributions. The former Miami Heat player was recently honored with a bronze statue outside the Kaseya Center.
While there have been conversations about the statue and how disappointing it is (many fans don’t think it resembles the NBA player), there isn’t enough about the real work of art: his family.
The evening of the ceremony kicked off with the 42-year-old’s eldest son, Zaire Wade, 22, giving a speech that had Gabrielle Union and Wade in tears. During Zaire’s speech, he shared words of wisdom his father used to share with him, which made the NBA player emotional.
“We all have a GPS… we’re all in a hurry to get there… turn the volume down and just be at peace with what’s going on in the moment. Stay present. Stay focused,” Zaire said.
Wade’s other two children, Zaya, 17, and Kaavia, 5, were also present to support their dad and witness him being honored.
During his emotional speech, Wade emphasized why he started playing basketball–to change his family’s life. The NBA legend has done that and so much more.
“I’ve written so many speeches, I’ve thanked everybody as many times as I can, I’ve come up with cool phrases and cool words to express these moments, and I didn’t have it for this moment, I couldn’t think of anything because this is out of body. This is nothing that you can dream of. This is nothing I ever thought I’d experience. I didn’t play for this, I didn’t pick up the basketball for this. I picked up the basketball to change my family’s life.”
The 8-foot statue of Wade pays tribute to the NBA star doing the “this is my house” pose in March 2009 after winning a double overtime game against the Chicago Bulls. Alongside the monument, there’s a wall elucidating the former NBA player’s achievements. Some include his entering the Basketball Hall of Fame and being a 13-time All-Star.
Kaavia, known as ‘shady baby,’ celebrated her dad’s achievement on her Instagram page. In a cute video, the full-of-life five-year-old is Wade posing next to the statue while they playfully reenact the iconic pose.
“Cemented in daddy’s legacy ♥️ congratulations daddy @dwyanewade,” the caption under the post reads.
Gabrielle also showed her man support on his milestone achievement, consoling him throughout the ceremony and beaming with pride.
In an Instagram post comprising photos from the night of the statue unveiling, the actress wrote,
“The walk from @kaseyacenter to Dwyane Wade Blvd was iconic every step of the way.”
The statue is timely, considering Wade debuted as a Miami Heat player 21 years ago in October. He was in the NBA for over a decade, etching his mark between 2003 and 2019. During that time, he played as a point guard and shooting guard for the Heat, the Bulls, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.