“I respectfully wore the No. 3 throughout my college and NBA career to represent the love and respect that I have for this man.” During his Hall of Fame induction, Dwyane Wade honored Allen Iverson as one of his idols. Speaking about honors, the Miami Heat legend is gearing up for an emotional weekend with the statue unveiling ceremony. To make it more special, the 3x NBA Champion also received a special honor from the City of Miami, with the renaming of a street near Kaseya Center. A similar honor that his idol AI received earlier this year.

“Came a long way. Shoutout to the man above! #AllenIversonWay #16StreetMade,” the 76ers legend added a post on his Instagram, once again sharing his gratitude, as the Virginia native has a street named after him in Newport News. The ‘Allen Iverson Way’ is located between Wickham Ave. and Walnut Ave. During the March ceremony, Mayor Phillip Jones said that the community sees AI as an “honorary son” of Newport News.

The Answer did not forget to thank his mother for supporting him throughout the years. “My mom told me when I was 8 years old that I could be anything I wanted to be, and I actually believed her, because she told me that I could be who I am today.” In fact, she was the one who encouraged the current Reebok Vice President, to take up basketball instead of football.

Similarly, the Dwyane Wade street news isn’t new, as in February 2020, Miami City Mayor Francis Suarez made the announcement. The County Commissioners recently unanimously voted to rename a portion near the Kaseya Center as ‘Dwyane Wade Boulevard,’ which includes 7th Street from Biscayne Blvd. to NE 2nd Avenue, and Wade commented on the post when Miami Heat shared the update before the weekend.

AI might be reminiscing about the street named after him due to Wade’s recent achievement. The two have a lot of mutual respect for each other and Iverson was even chosen by Wade as his presenter for the latter’s Hall of Fame induction a few months ago. “You brought hope to those who grew up with limited resources. You showed us that success and greatness are attainable even in the face of adversity. Your struggles made your accomplishments that much more remarkable. A.I., you are a living, breathing reminder that redemption and growth are possible,” Wade said during the ceremony.

Nevertheless, this weekend is all about Dwyane Wade and celebrating his legacy as arguably the greatest player in Miami Heat history.

Not the first time Dade County honored Dwyane Wade

“We know you’ve been waiting for this outside of Kaseya Center 🤩,” the franchise shared the update on Instagram, and Wade commented, “WADE COUNTY.” Not only the Heat legend but even his wife, Gabrielle Union, was over the moon with the honor, as she shared the post on her story with a heartwarming caption.

“Surreal. And so damn proud of @dwyanewade and it’s only just the beginning,” the actress wrote. And it’s not the first time that Miami City has honored the Hall of Famer. Before the formation of the Big 3 in 2010, there were reports suggesting Dwyane Wade would enter Free agency to team up with LeBron James and move to another team.

In order to show their appreciation and love for the 13x All-Star, Miami-Dade County commissioners voted unanimously to rename the county Miami-Wade County temporarily from July 1st to 7th, where the street got the recognition in honor of the Heat legend. And now the honor is permanently near the Kaseya Center.