The ceremonies are continuing in Miami at the moment. After the inauguration of the floor in the name of Pat Riley, place for the statue of Dwyane Wade unveiled this Sunday, in front of the team's home, the Kayesa Center.
The iconic Heat player has had nine months to digest the news, but he still doesn't know how he will feel when he sees this bronze statue of him – the first for a former player of the club – standing in front of the room.
“ I've tried to think about it since I heard (the news) and I don't think the answer I'm going to give is going to reflect how I'm going to feel. I don't even know if this will affect me right away “, he admits to the Miami Herald.
The Hall of Famer says he never had such an honor in his head during his playing days. “ If you had asked me when I arrived, I probably would have said Pat Riley would have the first statue if the Heat were to have one. The fact that I'm first shows me how much Pat, Micky (Arison, the president), the Riley family and the Arison family respect me », he judges.
The resentments of 2016 forgotten
The latter considers that much has been written on “ the negative aspects » of their relationship. “ But our relationship has been so long and there have been so many positives », adds the three-time NBA champion (2006, 2012 and 2013). He is referring here to 2016, when he swapped, for the first time in his career, the Heat jersey to sign up with the Bulls.
“When he left, there was resentment on both sides. But they were not prohibitive. I was sad to see him go. I was upset that he left. I knew we could find a solution, but we didn't. Even after joining Chicago and then Cleveland, he wanted to come back, and so did we… », Delivered Pat Riley last year.
“ 2016 didn't change what I accomplished here and what I knew was important to Miami », judges today Dwyane Wade, returned to the Heat in February 2018 to retire. He compares his relationship with the franchise to a family, with times when you have to “ go through trials “. “ But that moment, for me, will never determine my relationship with anyone. I'm not like that. »
The face of the franchise
This statue, for which he was “ heavily involved » in the design, is a good way to make this relationship a little more sacred, which began in 2003, at the time of the former Marquette's Draft in 5th place. Dwyane Wade may live in Los Angeles, but Miami will always hold a special place for him.
“ We all love Riles (Pat Riley) for what he did for all of us, not just as basketball players, but as men – the way he took care of us and talked to us . […] We are grateful that he was so hard on us because it allowed some of us to step away from the game and know how to deal with things », Formulates the 42-year-old man.
He remembers what the president said to him one day: “ When Pat said I was the face of the franchise forever, that was a moment where he meant it and he showed it by making sure there was a statue set up outside for a very long time. »
| Dwyane Wade | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2003-04 | MIA | 61 | 35 | 46.5 | 30.2 | 74.7 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 16.3 |
| 2004-05 | MIA | 77 | 39 | 47.8 | 28.9 | 76.2 | 1.4 | 3.7 | 5.2 | 6.8 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 1.1 | 24.1 |
| 2005-06 | MIA | 75 | 39 | 49.5 | 17.1 | 78.3 | 1.4 | 4.3 | 5.7 | 6.7 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 0.8 | 27.2 |
| 2006-07 | MIA | 51 | 38 | 49.1 | 26.6 | 80.7 | 1.0 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 7.5 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 4.2 | 1.2 | 27.4 |
| 2007-08 | MIA | 51 | 38 | 46.9 | 28.6 | 75.8 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 6.9 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 4.4 | 0.7 | 24.6 |
| 2008-09 | MIA | 79 | 39 | 49.1 | 31.7 | 76.5 | 1.1 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 7.5 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 30.2 |
| 2009-10 | MIA | 77 | 36 | 47.6 | 30.0 | 76.1 | 1.4 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 6.5 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 26.6 |
| 2010-11 | MIA | 76 | 37 | 50.0 | 30.6 | 75.8 | 1.6 | 4.8 | 6.4 | 4.6 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 25.5 |
| 2011-12 | MIA | 49 | 33 | 49.7 | 26.8 | 79.1 | 1.5 | 3.4 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 22.1 |
| 2012-13 | MIA | 69 | 35 | 52.1 | 25.8 | 72.5 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 21.2 |
| 2013-14 | MIA | 54 | 33 | 54.5 | 28.1 | 73.3 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 19.0 |
| 2014-15 | MIA | 62 | 32 | 47.0 | 28.4 | 76.8 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 21.5 |
| 2015-16 | MIA | 74 | 31 | 45.6 | 15.9 | 79.3 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 19.0 |
| 2016-17 | CHI | 60 | 30 | 43.4 | 31.0 | 79.4 | 1.1 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 18.3 |
| 2017-18 * | All Teams | 67 | 23 | 43.8 | 28.8 | 71.4 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 11.4 |
| 2017-18 * | KEY | 46 | 23 | 45.5 | 32.9 | 70.1 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 11.2 |
| 2017-18 * | MIA | 21 | 22 | 40.9 | 22.0 | 74.5 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 12.0 |
| 2018-19 | MIA | 72 | 26 | 43.3 | 33.0 | 70.8 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 15.0 |
| Total | 1054 | 34 | 48.0 | 29.3 | 76.5 | 1.2 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 22.0 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
