Heat unveils Dwyane Wade 'This is my house' bronze statue in front of Kaseya Center

MIAMI — Dwyane Wade has been at the center of many of the Miami Heat’s most memorable moments. On Sunday, that list grew longer.

The Heat unveiled an 8-foot bronze statue of Wade on the front steps of the Kaseya Center on Sunday — the first Heat statue to ever go up at its home arena in the franchise’s 37 seasons.

“I didn’t play for this,” Wade said during a speech minutes after the statue was unveiled during a ceremony on the venue’s West Plaza. “I didn’t pick up a basketball for this. I picked up a basketball to change my family’s life. ... I could not have written this script any better.”

There were so many iconic moments to choose from throughout Wade’s legendary Heat career, but the one immortalized in the form of a statue in front of the Kaseya Center is his “This is my house” game-winner on March 9, 2009 during his sixth NBA season.

Wade finished that memorable performance with 48 points, six rebounds, 12 assists, four steals and three blocks to lead the Heat to a double-overtime win over the Chicago Bulls at then-American Airlines Arena. But Wade’s final shot of the game is what made this March night in 2009 one of the most memorable of his career, as he stole the ball from then-Bulls guard John Salmons and sprinted down the court to make a one-legged game-winning three-pointer as time expired to break a 127-127 tie.

What ensued became one of the most iconic moments in Heat history, as Wade jumped on the scorer’s table to celebrate his game-winner and yelled, “This is my house!” The statue unveiled on Sunday depicts that celebration.

“I believe I gave you guys something set in stone to hold onto,” Wade said to end his speed on Sunday. “This is my house. I’m out.”

Wade’s statue was created by Rotblatt Amrany Studio sculptors Omri Amrany and Oscar León. Among the other statues that Rotblatt Amrany Studio is responsible for are “Michael Jordan Spirit” in Chicago, and the Kobe Bryant “Black Mamba” statue and the “Kobe and Gianna Bryant Memorial Statue” in Los Angeles.

During Sunday’s ceremony, Miami rapper Rick Ross performed. Former Heat captain and Wade’s close friend Udonis Haslem, Heat president Pat Riley, and Wade’s oldest son Zaire Wade gave speeches before the statue was unveiled.

Current and former Heat players attended the ceremony from Ray Allen, Alonzo Mourning, Hassan Whiteside and Haslem to Pelle Larsson, Bam Adebayo, Josh Richardson, Terry Rozier, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith and Kel’el Ware. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, general manager Andy Elisburg, managing general partner Micky Arison, chief executive officer Nick Arison and Riley were among others who were in the crowd for Sunday’s unveiling.

“You have brought this city together beyond measure that you will never understand my brother,” Haslem said during his speech. “... I thought this was my city. But when I walk around this city and I get love, 50 percent of it is because of you.”

It’s fitting that the Heat’s first statue is of Wade. He’s widely considered to be the greatest player in Heat history.

Drafted by Miami with the fifth overall pick in 2003, Wade is the Heat’s all-time leader in categories like points, games played, minutes played, assists and steals and is considered one of the top shooting guards in NBA history. Among his most impressive accomplishments: three championships with the Heat (2006, 2012, 2013), a Finals MVP award in 2006 and an NBA scoring title in the 2008-09 season.

Wade’s NBA playing career lasted 16 seasons and included 13 All-Star Game selections, spending the first 13 seasons of his career with the Heat before briefly leaving amid a contract dispute to spend the 2016-17 season with the Chicago Bulls and part of the 2017-18 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. But Wade was traded back to the Heat midway through the 2017-18 season to end his career in Miami, entering retirement at the end of the 2018-19 season.

Wade, 42, is already one of six Heat players to have his jersey retired by the organization. He also became the first Heat draft pick enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame when he was inducted as part of the 2023 class.

Following Sunday’s statue unveiling, the Heat will host “Dwyane Wade Statue Night” during Monday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons at Kaseya Center (7:30 p.m. ET, FanDuel Sports Network - Sun) on the 21-year anniversary of Wade’s NBA debut in 2003. Wade will address the crowd during a halftime presentation, with video tributes to his Hall of Fame career sprinkled throughout Monday’s game.

Monday will cap off a celebratory stretch for the Heat, as the team also commemorated the start of Heat president Pat Riley’s 30th season with the organization by unveiling “Pat Riley Court at Kaseya Center” in a halftime ceremony during Wednesday’s season opener.

____