Dwyane Wade has explained why he agreed to change the head of his Miami Heat statue after its original unveiling drew criticism over its likeness. The three-time NBA champion initially felt protective of the sculpture because of his involvement in its creation. However, he eventually reconsidered after recognizing what the tribute meant to the people of Miami.

Miami Herald reporter Anthony Chiang shared Wade’s explanation for approving the changes in a post on X, quoting the former Heat star: “This isn’t about erasing the work that was already done or disrespecting the artists who put their time and talent into creating it. It’s about being willing to listen.”

Wade acknowledged that the criticism started almost immediately after the statue was unveiled. “When my statue was unveiled in Miami, it didn’t take long for the conversation to become about one thing: the face.”

He added, “I heard the jokes. I saw the memes. I read the reactions. Everybody had an opinion about whether it actually looked like me.”

Although the reactions were difficult to ignore, Wade initially felt protective of the sculpture because he understood the effort behind it. “At first, it was hard not to feel protective of it because I had spent so much time involved in the process. I knew the work, care, and intention that had gone into creating the entire statue, and because of that, I felt a real connection to it.”

The statue commemorates one of the defining moments of Wade’s career: his game-winner against the Chicago Bulls on March 9, 2009. After hitting the shot in double overtime, he jumped onto the scorer’s table and celebrated with the words that became closely associated with his time in Miami.

Wade explained the personal significance of the celebration in his essay. “The statue captures one of the most meaningful individual moments of my career: the game-winner against Chicago and the birth of ‘This Is My House.’”

He continued, “Outside of winning championships, it may be my favorite moment I ever had on a basketball court. There was something poetic about being a kid from Chicago, playing against Chicago, hitting that shot in the fashion that I did, and then jumping on the scorer’s table in Miami.”

Wade also explained how the phrase came naturally from the emotion of the occasion. “”This Is My House” wasn’t planned. It came out of the emotion of everything that had just happened-the steal, the shot, the buzzer, the crowd, and the feeling of being home. Over time, those four words became bigger than one basketball game. They became part of the relationship between me and Miami.”

That connection eventually made Wade reconsider whether the statue was conveying the right message. Reflecting on his decision, he said, “So eventually, I had to ask myself a pretty simple question: If people don’t feel that connection when they look at the face, why wouldn’t we try to make it better?”

After discussions with everyone involved in the project, Wade confirmed that they agreed to modify the statue’s head. He explained, “So we listened and had honest conversations with everyone involved, and we all agreed to make adjustments to the head.”

The revised process allowed the team to focus on the face without recreating the entire sculpture. Wade explained how the changes could help the statue better represent the moment: “It gave us a chance to make sure the face better connects with the person and the emotion the statue is meant to represent.”

For Wade, the tribute also carries significance for the city. It is the first statue to stand outside the Heat’s arena. He said, “This is the first statue ever to stand in front of that arena. That means something to me, but it also means something to the city. Miami deserves to feel proud of it.”

He also recognized the role the crowd played in making the celebration memorable. “The 305 deserves to look at that statue and feel the same energy it felt that night. And the fans deserve to see themselves in that moment because their noise, their belief and their love were part of what made it possible.”

Wade hopes the updated statue will resonate with the people who shared that experience with him. He concluded, “I hope when people see it now, they see a better likeness of me. But more than that, I hope they see themselves.”