Dwyane Wade is unbothered by critics who’ve been trolling his recently unveiled statue in Miami.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the three-time NBA champion addressed the online chatter surrounding his statue outside the Kaseya Center, which was unveiled last October. While some fans took shots at the statue’s design, Wade made it clear that their opinions don’t matter to him.
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“That’s what they do, they talk,” Wade told Fallon. “But people ain’t got a statue, Jimmy. I only listen to people that have statues. If you don’t have a statue…”
Wade then joked about naming the statue “Statuesque Wade” and encouraged fans to visit it in Miami. Despite the jokes and memes, Wade said the statue holds deep personal meaning.
“It’s so surreal. I’m a kid from the inner city of Chicago, and to be able to end my career and walk away with a statue outside the arena—it means everything,” he said. “I put everything I had into the game of basketball, on and off the court, and for the Miami Heat to honor me in that way, it’s just special.”
He also acknowledged the wave of online humor but emphasized how significant the moment was for him and his family.
“Social media tried to take my moment away from me, and I get all the jokes. I’m in on all the jokes. But if you know where I come from, if you know my journey, if you know my walk, that was a huge moment for my family and me.”
