Dwyane Wade's Miami Heat 'This Is My House' Statue Draws Critics: NPR

Former Miami Heat NBA basketball player Dwyane Wade looks at a bronze statue resembling him during the unveiling ceremony outside the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, October 27.

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Without Miami's No. 3 jersey, it might be difficult to recognize that a new statue outside the Kaseya Center is none other than basketball superstar Dwyane Wade.

The bronze statue was unveiled Sunday in honor of the former Miami Heat player, who made his professional basketball debut with the team 21 years ago this October. Located near the arena's front doors, it is accompanied by a wall highlighting Wade's accomplishments, from his time as a Basketball Hall of Famer to a 13-time All Star.

Designed by Omri Amrany and Oscar León of Timeless Creations, the statue was intended to capture Wade in mid-celebration, recreating his iconic “This is my house” gesture after he hit a game-winning three-pointer against the Chicago Bulls in 2009.

At a news conference on Sunday, Wade said it was his idea to pay homage to the 2009 game, describing it as the greatest moment of his career. He praised the artists for working with him to get every detail right, including the fact that he was chewing gum.

“I want to make sure that every fan, when they see it, remembers my career, and I think that sums up my career,” he said. “People will be driving and look up and I'll say, 'That's my house.' I thought, 'This is going to be pretty cool from the street.'”

Wade later called the statue “beautiful” and “one of the best statues ever created” – although he admitted he had some bias. The fans, however, were less enthusiastic. Many said online they were confused and disappointed by the long-awaited reveal.

“The Miami Heat should have held a contest where they would show this picture to 1,000 fans – and anyone who guesses it's Dwyane Wade gets to keep the statue,” ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington joked on X.

“This is a joke, right? Because literally not a single feature – nose, lips, eyes – looks remotely like Dwayne Wade,” another X user wrote.

Others on social media said the statue resembled a famous person – just not Wade – but rather former professional boxer George Foreman and Matrix actor Laurence Fishburne.

Will Manso, sports director for WPLG Local 10 News, said the statue looks better up close and in person. “In the end, Dwyane is happy and that’s all that matters. He had four trips with the sculptors to get the right pose and look. He said it was beautiful,” Manso continued X.

Statue of Cristiano Ronaldo at a ceremony renaming Madeira Airport after the soccer star on March 29, 2017 in Santa Cruz, Madeira, Portugal.

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It's not the first time that fans have been unimpressed by an immortalized piece of art from their favorite star. In 2017, a bronze bust of soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo confused fans because it failed to capture his chiseled facial features. Earlier this year, a statue of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was criticized not only for its lack of resemblance, but also for spelling errors on its marble base.

There was another notable outcry after a statue of Lucille Ball, nicknamed “Scary Lucy” by locals, was unveiled in her hometown of Celoron, New York, in 2009. After a viral social media campaign, the statue was replaced with a new one by a different artist in 2016.

And just last month, people across the UK were stunned by a new sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II that was unveiled in Northern Ireland last month. The statue showed Elizabeth in a skirt, wellies and a headscarf – prompting jokes that she looked more like Mrs Doubtfire than the late queen.