Wade Statue Head Replaced After Two Years of Criticism

A plywood box covered the base of the Dwyane Wade statue outside the Miami Heat arena for the last few days.

On Friday, the team removed the covering to reveal a newly sculpted head. The work was completed just before Wade published an essay explaining the change.

The original statue debuted two years ago. It depicted Wade jumping onto a courtside table, a pose taken from a game against the Chicago Bulls in March 2009. In that game, he made a shot to win in double overtime.

Fans and critics noted that the face on the original sculpture did not resemble Wade. The new head aims to correct that perception.

Wade addressed the issue in a written statement released on Friday. He said he asked himself a simple question: if people do not feel a connection when looking at the face, why not try to make it better?

The player said he held honest conversations with the artists and the team. They agreed to make adjustments to the head while keeping the rest of the statue intact.

Wade wrote that the change is not about erasing the original work or disrespecting the artists. He described the original piece as an artistic version of a specific moment. He said the 305 area deserves to see the statue and feel the energy of that night.

The Heat posted photos of the updated sculpture on Friday. Wade hopes fans will now see a better likeness of him. He added that the statue will always represent the shared experience of the team and the fans.