Artist behind Dwyane Wade statue defends likeness of Heat legend amid criticism

The new Dwyane Wade statue outside the Kaseya Center in Miami is getting a lot of attention over the appearance of the basketball icon’s face.

Almost immediately after it was unveiled on Sunday, critics expressed disdain for the statue on social media. 

On Monday, NBC Miami asked visitors how they felt about the statue, looking at it in person. The reviews were mixed.

“The first thing that came to mind was, that sort of looks like Laurence Fishburne, not so much Dwyane Wade," Todd Marius said.

Another visitor commented on the statue’s teeth. 

The statue is a replica of the “This is my house!” game-winning celebration in March 2009. The Miami Heat legend told reporters that was one of the most memorable moments of his career as he faced his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls.

"I felt good about it," he said. "I picked that because I wanted to make sure that every fan, when they see it, they remember my career and I think that sums up my career and this building."

Oscar Leon, one of the artists behind the sculpture, says the concept started with a collection of photos of Wade that were turned into a clay model. Computers then helped the artists design the statue.

Leon says they received input from Wade’s closest friends and Heat executives before signing off on the statue.

“To the critics, there’s a lot that needs to be understood,” Leon said. “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.”

Leon says more than 800 hours of work went into creating the sculpture. Sixteen hours were spent with Wade.

“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.

Some fans who showed up in person on Monday agreed. 

“I’m happy with it because we all know who this is,” Luqman Shaheed said. “He’s Dwyane Wade … he left his legacy here and now all the people and fans get to come and take pictures and have a little moment with him.”