Report: Dwyane Wade approved statue that is being mocked

The internet has been clowning the Heat organization and the sculptor of the Dwyane Wade statue ever since the Hall of Famer was immortalized on Sunday.

However, a lot of that mockery is falling on deaf ears. Why? Because Wade himself approved the statue, reports Rachel Nichols.

A lot of the negative reactions were triggered by Wade's comments on the podium when he asked "Who's that guy?" while looking back at his statue. However, it would appear the 2006 NBA Finals MVP was being tongue-in-cheek with his comment as he pre-approved the statue.

The statue was a nod to Wade's "This is my house" moment after he hit a game-winner against the Bulls on March 9, 2009. The legendary guard scored 48 points in an exhilarating double-OT thriller that he iced with a three-pointer in the dying seconds of the second OT period.

While addressing the media, Wade explained why he chose that specific moment in March 2009 for the statue. He said the moment "meant everything" since it came against his hometown franchise, the Bulls, propelling him to shout "This is my house" after the iconic shot.

"When I had to sit down and decide which moment would be [etched] in stone forever, it was that moment on March 9, 2009," Wade said.

Wade becomes the latest NBA legend to be immortalized with a statue, joining Michael Jordan, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Dirk Nowitzki and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, among others. The Mavericks unveiled a statue of Nowitzki making his iconic one-legged fadeaway jumper in 2022.