The Miami Heat recently unveiled a statue of three-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, making him the first player in franchise history to receive such an honor outside the Kaseya Center. During his speech at the unveiling, Wade highlighted Bam Adebayo as the player who would carry forward the Heat legacy.
Along with Adebayo, Wade paid tribute to past franchise icons Udonis Haslem and Alonzo Mourning, noting their critical roles in building Miami’s rich history.
Speaking with ClutchPoints, Wade explained why he sees Adebayo as the next in line. “We speak a lot, we’ve always have, UD, myself, the organization have spoken to Bam [Adebayo] at this level for a long time,” Wade said. “And it’s not pressure, it’s just opportunity.”
“I mentioned Alonzo Mourning, I mentioned Udonis Haslem. I mentioned myself, and then I mentioned Bam,” Wade continued. “Listen, to mention Bam, with those likes, that’s respect, because we see him as someone who’s going to continue to take on everything that we learned here and everything that we passed on for this organization to be successful.”
Former Miami Heat player Dwyane Wade and Bam Adebayo #13 of the Heat embrace during halftime of a game against the Charlotte Hornets. Megan Briggs/Getty Images
Wade sees Adebayo as the Heat’s cornerstone
With Adebayo serving as the Heat’s captain since Haslem’s departure, Wade praised his leadership and emphasized Adebayo’s role as a foundational piece for the franchise. “You don’t have those players, they don’t come around often,” Wade said. “You have a lot of talented players come around, you have people that do great things.”
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“You don’t have cornerstone individuals that can take your culture and keep it going,” Wade continued. “And so I just spoke on that, and I’ve spoken to him. I spoke to the team too. A house divided will not stand … and so it’s important for me to set that example, to be that example, but not to be the only one.”
Finally, Wade expressed gratitude to Mourning for setting the foundation. “And so we’re thankful for Zo [Mourning], because he set it, UD [Haslem] and I followed. And Bam has to be thankful for us because we set it, and now he’s following it, and so hopefully it keeps going.”
