The recently unveiled statue of Dwyane Wade outside the Miami Heat’s arena has sparked unexpected reactions across the sports world.
The monument, revealed on October 27, aims to immortalize Wade’s iconic “This is my house!” celebration from a 2009 game against the Chicago Bulls.
However, social media quickly lit up with fans pointing out an uncanny resemblance to actor Laurence Fishburne rather than the Heat legend himself.
The statue’s notoriety reached new heights during Friday night’s Ivy League showdown between Columbia and Yale.
In a creative attempt to throw off Yale’s kicker Nick Conforti, the Columbia Lions displayed the controversial Wade statue on their Jumbotron, strategically positioned behind the goalposts.
The psychological warfare came at a crucial moment, with Yale leading 6-3 and preparing for an extra point attempt before halftime.
Columbia trying to distract the Yale kicker with the Dwayne Wade statue pic.twitter.com/F2BFqqNgPf
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) November 2, 2024
Despite Columbia’s innovative distraction tactics, Conforti successfully converted the kick.
However, the Lions had the last laugh, securing a 13-10 victory over their longtime rivals.
The matchup holds significant history, with Yale dominating the series 72-22-2 and riding a four-game winning streak entering Friday’s contest.
While such rivalry antics might be par for the course in college football, Wade likely never imagined his commemorative statue would become fodder for on-field mind games.
The statue’s transformation into a comedic talking point this week – with Columbia’s creative use being the latest example – certainly wasn’t part of the Heat’s tribute playbook.
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