Heat to unveil Dwyane Wade statue outside arena in October; Rick Ross to perform during two-day celebration

Dwyane Wade is getting a statue outside the Miami Heat’s arena, but you might have known that already. The news is that the statue will be unveiled on Oct. 27 as part of a two-day celebration of “the greatest player” in Heat history, per the team’s official announcement on Thursday.

Wade will be present alongside the current Heat team, president Pat Riley, coach Erik Spoelstra, owner Micky Arison and CEO Nick Arison when, at the the Kaseya Center West Plaza, fans will get their first look at the bronze statue on the steps that lead to the arena. Rick Ross, identified in the news release as both a local hip-hop legend and a “#HEATLifer,” will perform. The event will be free to attend, but capacity will be limited and tickets must be reserved in advance.

Wade will also be present for “Dwyane Wade Statue Night” the following evening, Oct. 28. Twenty-one years to the day after his NBA debut, Wade will be honored throughout the Heat’s game against the Detroit Pistons. There will be video tributes, naturally, and he will address the crowd at halftime. 

“When we retired his jersey in February 2020, I said Dwyane was the face of this franchise forever and I meant it,” Riley said in Miami’s initial statement about the statue in January. “Dwyane’s legacy is a towering one not only for the Miami HEAT but for Miami-Wade County. I can’t think of a better way to honor him than by memorializing that legacy.”

As the Heat announced earlier this year, sculptors Omri Amrany and Oscar León of Rotblatt Amanry Studio are the team behind the statue. 

Wade won three championships (2006, 2012, 2013) with the Heat and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, minutes, points, field goals made, field goal attempts, free throws made, free throw attempts, assists and steals.