The Miami Heat recently unveiled their new Dwyane Wade statue outside the Kaseya Center, and it has been the subject of memes and criticism from fans and pundits alike. Despite this, the artists behind the statue are standing behind their work.
“I couldn’t do better than that,” Omri Amrany told Will Manso when asked about the fans’ reaction to the statue. “I don’t think anybody else can do better than that. It is what it is, and we will love it forever.”
Fellow artist Oscar Leon also aired his side, saying they put in more than 800 hours of work to create the sculpture, including several hours spent consulting with Mr. Miami Heat himself, Dwyane Wade.
“To the critics, there’s a lot that needs to be understood,” Leon said via NBC South Florida. “We have to seal everything to keep the integrity of the sculpture. However, that does create a funny little side effect of being glossy in areas that we are not used to seeing when we look at somebody in the flesh.”
“The sealer definitely creates a little bit of, um, a misunderstanding to the eye. So, I would definitely encourage everyone to come to Miami and view it in person,” Leon said.
Dwyane Wade chimes in on the critics of his new Miami Heat statue
Dwyane Wade said he is happy with the outcome of the statue, even if it has been ridiculed by many from the basketball community, often comparing it to renowned actor Laurence Fishburne.
“I appreciate the comments that everybody has because I’m in on the joke, guys,” Wade told reporters. “I laugh all the time. I saw some memes today and I was like, ‘Yeah, it kind of got a little Laurence Fishburne with the lower jawline.'”
“Social media world is about opinions. Send some memes. We don’t care,” he said. “It was a special moment yesterday, my family and I. It don’t need to look like me. It’s an artistic version of me,” the Miami Heat icon concluded.