As the Miami Heat prepares to immortalize Dwyane Wade with a statue outside of the Kaseya Center, fans and critics are debating which of his countless electrifying moments should be cast in the bronze. Known for his clutch performances and solid dunks, Wade is a phenom who helped the Heat clinch three championships: 2006, 2012, and 2013. But for one NBA player, the mere name of Wade sends shivers down the spine. Kendrick Perkins, who once patrolled the paint for the Oklahoma City Thunder, found himself tongue-tied and flustered when he was shown a recap in a recent broadcast. Did he too relive the jolt of what the Illinois native could do?

In the latest episode of “NBA Today,” the main agenda was deciding which of Wade’s greatest moments should be portrayed through his upcoming statue. Panellists Malika Andrews, Zach Lowe, and Chiney Ogwumike were going through the potential poses that the statue could shape into when Perkins was shown a 13-year-old footage of a game between the Thunder and the Heat. “I mean what you want me to say? I didn’t think he was going to dunk it. He spun off and then snatched the screws out of the rim. I was caught under the basket, I couldn’t say nothing,” said Perkins in the show.

The video showed one of the nastiest dunks from “The Flash” that the NBA had ever experienced in the 2010-2011 season in a game between the Miami Heat and OKC. It was the first season of the “Big Three Era,” including LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade. The No. 3 knew he had to do something to set an example for the NBA. In the second quarter of the game, when the score was at 41-30, Wade, while moving towards the basket, received the ball on his left hand, spun, and elevated above Perkins, to dunk the ball into the rim. When Malika Andrews said during the show that this could be the statue, there were only two words that came out of Perkins’ mouth: “Oh no.”

Moreover, two years ago, the 13x NBA All-Star reacted to his thunderous dunk against Perkins in an NBA video. According to him, this was the second most legendary dunk in his career, whereas he regarded his 2009 dunk on Anderson Varejao in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers as his best one. “Perk was disrespecting me a couple of nights before, so I thought I’d hand a little disrespect back to Perk and hit em with the (Continues to show dance moves),” said Wade during the NBA segment.

In the end, Wade’s legacy extends far beyond any single play. His Finals MVP award and Olympic gold medal speak to a career filled with triumph and excellence. This incident highlights the enduring nature of sports moments. Even years later, the memory of Wade’s dunk over Perkins remains vivid in the minds of fans and also in the minds of Kendrick Perkins. With the statue’s unveiling dates nearing, it’s time for us to look at what the big day for ‘The Flash’ is going to look like.

More about Dwyane Wade’s upcoming statue 

On Friday, the Miami Heat announced that they will honor Dwyane Wade with a statue outside the team’s Kaseya Center. The unveiling ceremony is scheduled for October 27th, with a ceremony on October 28th during the Heat’s home opener against the Detroit Pistons.

There will be a musical performance by Rick Ross and Nino Breeze during the unveiling. Interestingly, Omri Amrany and Oscar León of Rotblatt Amrany Studio, which is the same studio that has sculpted statues of other NBA greats like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, has sculpted the statue of Dwyane Wade. As for 28th October, the NBA champion will address the crowd during the halftime of the matchup. This date is also important for the 42-year-old since he made a debut for the Heat exactly 21 years ago on this date.

This isn’t the first time that Miami is showing their respect for the player. In 2020, the team retired Wade’s jersey No. 3 during a halftime ceremony. The statue will be a fitting tribute to Wade’s legacy and his contributions to the Heat organization.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.