Over the past two decades, the Miami Heat have been an organization that pride itself on having a strong culture. Following some recent happenings in the U.S., the Heat displayed that mentality goes far beyond the basketball court.

Last week, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris participated a presidential debate ahead of the upcoming election. During the discussion, the former president let out some strong allegations regarding Haitian immigrants in the United States, saying they were eating pets in Ohio.

Following the comments made by Trump in the debate, the Miami Heat decided to release a statement. In a market that has a vast cultural presence, they wanted to distance themselves from such allegations. The post made it clear that the Heat don’t side with such narratives and voiced support for the Haitian community.

Miami Heat plan to build statue in honor of Dwyane Wade

When it comes to the Miami Heat, “Heat Culture” is often one of the first things mentioned. The organization plans to further cement this by honoring one of the greatest players to ever wear their uniform.

Over the past few years, countless organizations have had statues built to honor some all-time great talents. Now, the Heat plan to get in on this trend. Last week, it was announced that a statue is being built in honor of Dwyane Wade.

The Miami Heat plan on making this spectacle a two-day affair. On October 27th, the statue will officially be unveiled outside of the Kaseya Center. The Heat will then have “Statue Night” the following day during their matchup against the Detroit Pistons.

When talking about the decision to give Wade a statue, Pat Riley was a strong supporter. He feels the Hall of Fame guard will also be a key component of the franchise and its history. Wade’s statue ceremony comes four years after his No. 3 jersey was put in the Heat’s rafters.

“When we retired his jersey in February 2020, I said Dwyane was the face of this franchise forever and I meant it,” Pat Riley said in a statement in January. “Dwyane’s legacy is a towering one not only for the Miami Heat but for Miami-Wade County. I can’t think of a better way to honor him than by memorializing that legacy.”

Wade spent 15 years with the Miami Heat after being drafted fifth overall back in 2006. He’d go on to have a lot of success during his time there, delivering the franchise three championships. The first came in 2006 alongside Shaquille O’Neal, followed by two more in 2012 and 2013 with LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

Following brief stints with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, Wade returned to the Heat in 2018. The 2019 campaign would go on to be his farewell tour, eventually retiring with the franchise at the age of 37.