Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union Tear Up at His Miami Heat Statue Unveiling: ‘This Is Out of Body’

Mar. 15, 2025

A statue honoringDwyane Wadehas been unveiled — and it has a special connection to his late friendKobe Bryant.

On Sunday, Oct. 27, the Miami Heat legend, 42, was honored with a statue of himself at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The 8-foot bronze effigy pays tribute to Wade doing the “this is my house” pose in March 2009 after winning a double overtime game against the Chicago Bulls.

The evening started off with a speech from Wade’s son, Zaire Wade, 22, that left the NBA star and his wife,Gabrielle Union, in tears. And once walls moved aside to show the statue, Wade slowly walked around it, overcome with emotion. That was due in large part to the late Bryant, PEOPLE reports.

Dwyane Wade statue; Dwyane Wade in 2009.Rachel Nichols/x;Victor Baldizon/NBAE via Getty

Rachel Nichols/x;Victor Baldizon/NBAE via Getty

“I’m here right now, we’re present right now, but I know this moment goes way beyond just now and way beyond the years that I was in life. And I say that because during this process, I got to go to Chicago and I spent a lot of time on my statue, and next to my statue was Kobe Bryant’s statue getting made at the same time. The exact same time,” Wade told reporters, including PEOPLE, after the unveiling.

“And every time I showed up, there was more work done on Kobe’s statue, but Kobe’s not there,” Wade continued, getting choked up. “I’m there. I’m looking at mine, I’m touching mine, I’m talking about mine, but Kobe isn’t. And it put everything in perspective for me. When we talk about being immortal, we talk about the life after, going through this process really gave me an opportunity to see it — my brother is not here, to have this moment that I have. So I know how important this is, and I know this will live on way beyond me. I’m so excited about that, I’m so proud of that for my family.”

Dwyane Wade (left) and Kobe Bryant in 2008.Stephen Dunn/Getty

Stephen Dunn/Getty

Wade said that while he’s “personally biased,” he thinks the statue is “beautiful.”

“I think it’s one of the best statues that’s been created because of what it represents for us and for me,” he said.

Wade saw the statue in the final clay form before the bronzing, and the sculptors noted several small, but important details that made it in — for one, Wade is chewing gum, as he was in the iconic moment. The heels also have his mother’s name on the left shoe, and his father’s on the right. And a wristband on his left arm that contains two addresses for each of his childhood homes in Chicago, to remember where he came from.

“You guys know the story of the inner-city kid from Chicago that grew up with nothing — we didn’t have candles when the lights went out in our house, we just had to find out way in the dark. That kid, to be here, I’m so proud of him. I’m so f—ing proud of him,” Wade said.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Dwyane Wade speaks at his 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame induction.Mike Lawrie/Getty

Mike Lawrie/Getty

With Union, Zaire, and daughters Zaya, 17, and Kaavia, 5, alongside him, Wade said this was the one time he’s struggled to know what to say.

“I’ve written so many speeches, I’ve thanked everybody as many times as I can, I’ve come up with cool phrases and cool words to express these moments, and I didn’t have it for this moment, I couldn’t think of anything because this is out of body. This is nothing that you can dream of. This is nothing I ever thought I’d experience. I didn’t play for this, I didn’t pick up the basketball for this. I picked up the basketball to change my family’s life.”

Wade concluded his unveiling speech with a clever line cementing his legacy. “I believe I gave you guys something set in stone to hold onto,” he said. “This is my house. I’m out.”

Wade spoke to PEOPLE in February 2020about the legacy thatBryant, who died in January 2020, was building after his basketball career. “The legacy he was building outside of there was being there for the players, being a voice for the next generation,” he said at the time.

“Working them out, being on the court with them, being there in his kids’ lives, being a real all-star, superstar parent. Being an amazing husband,” he added.

Wade played for the Heat from 2003-2016 before he moved to the Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers for one season each. He ultimately went back to the Heat for a final season before retiring in 2019.

He wasinducted into the Basketball Hall of Famein 2023 and is considered one of the best shooting guards in NBA history.

source: people.com