Being memorialized in your sport only happens to the greats. Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, and more all have statues with their designated teams, and Dwyane Wade received the honor last year. However, for Wade, when statue was revealed, it shocked fans, with many of them sharing their honest thoughts about the statue. Since the inception in October 2024, it instantly became and meme and even now it is still a topic online.
“We should have all known this Heat season was meant to go to sh*t the moment they revealed that atrocious Dwyane Wade statue,” one fan wrote.
“Dwyane Wade statue is a mess but he sure is a monument of a father,” another fan wrote on X.
“That Dwyane Wade statue a curse,” another fan wrote.
Now the three-time NBA champion is speaking out against the haters who dislike his statue. Wade made a guest appearance on The Tonight Show Jimmy Fallon and spoke out about the online discourse about the statue.
“That’s what they do, they talk,” said Wade. “But people ain’t got a statue, Jimmy. I only listen to people that have statues. If you don’t have a statue …”
Despite the jokes about his statue he is still believes it’s a huge deal and shared how much it means to him.
“It’s so surreal, I’m a kid from the inner city of Chicago and to be able to end my career and be able to walk away with a statue outside the arena it means everything because 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,” Wade said.
He added, “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.”
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Dwyane Wade Gets Vulnerable About His Cancer Journey
Wade has been through a lot in the past couple of years regarding his health that he has now just recently shedded a light on. The Basketball Hall of Famer was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2023.
“I just started to be like, okay, well this is probably a part of my genetics and my history, let me go get checked out,” Wade told during Today with Jenna & Friends on March 11. “When I turned 40, I went into the doctor and I was like, ‘Listen, I want to know everything.’ And in the midst of that, I was like, ‘Here are a few things that I’ve been feeling.’”
After hearing from one doctor, a third doctor initiated a game plan for the retired NBA player to determine a proper diagnosis.
“He was like, ‘Listen, we’ll not know unless we’re able to go in and have surgery and then we’re able to test it. We want to get it off, because we don’t want this to spread.’ So now, yeah, now I’m scared and that’s when I knew it was really serious.”
Wade got the surgery following urinary issues that prompted him to go in for help. Doctors had to remove 40% of his kidney to remove the cancerous tumor. Now, the former athlete is ready to let his life resume without worry.
“Now I’m back. I’m strong, I’m healthy. I feel great. I’m just a little more cautious,” he said. “I feel like one of the lucky ones. I’m cancer free.”
