I am born and raised in Miami, Florida.
The Miami Heat announced in early January they will honor number three, Dwyane Wade, the three-time NBA champion, who spent the majority of his future Hall of Fame career with the Heat.
In Miami fashion, it will be a three-day celebration, including the jersey retirement of No. 3 forever.
The Heat will host a L3GACY Celebration honoring the retired franchise superstar, Wade, during a series of events scheduled at AmericanAirlines Arena the weekend of February 21, 22, and 23, 2020. Wade will make appearances at all three events.
The Flashback // February 21
The L3GACY Celebration tips off at AmericanAirlines Arena on Friday, February 21st, at 8:00 p.m. with “The Flashback.” This event will honor Wade’s impact on NBA basketball, the Miami HEAT, and the South Florida community. Guests in attendance will be treated to a sneak peek of the jersey retirement banner, among other festivities.
This event will be staged in a concert-like configuration, which results in a smaller seating capacity than a basketball game configuration. As a result, seating will be limited, and the event will be exclusive to current HEAT Season Ticket Members, Premium Seat Holders, and HEAT Corporate Partners. Ticket information will be communicated directly to those groups. FOX Sports Sun will provide exclusive live TV coverage of the event beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The moment we all have been waiting for and expected will take place the following night.
No. 3 Jersey Retirement // February 22 // Cleveland Cavaliers vs. HEAT (halftime)
Wade’s No. 3 jersey will be officially retired during halftime of the matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 22nd. Wade will become the fifth Heat player to have his jersey retired, joining Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal, and Chris Bosh. Wade’s career spanned 16 seasons—15 of them played in Miami—as he accumulated three NBA Championships, an NBA Finals MVP, an NBA All-Star MVP, and 13 All-Star selections to name a few.
“As teams develop and evolve, there are many players who could be labeled the face of a franchise, then there are those that rise above that,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “In my opinion, with all due respect to others, Dwyane Wade has been the face of this franchise. I am so delighted that Dwyane is going to be honored by having his jersey retired. He is so deserving.”
Deserving of the events. The final one is exclusive.
Exclusive Screening of upcoming Dwyane Wade Documentary // February 23
The Heat will screen an exclusive early screening of a new feature-length documentary that chronicles Wade’s NBA career and life off the court as he goes through his final year in the league, reflecting back on the personal and professional challenges, victories, and set-backs throughout his unwavering journey. The screening will take place at AmericanAirlines Arena on Sunday, February 23rd starting at 3:30 p.m. Wade will make an appearance at the event and address the crowd. Doors open at 2:30 p.m.
The film, directed by Bob Metelus of Metelus Studios, is a collaboration between Imagine Documentaries and ESPN Films and is set to debut on ESPN in late February. Shot over the last ten years with Wade, his family, and many others, the filmmakers utilized hundreds of hours of never-before-seen home movies, video diaries, and all-access verité footage. Imagine Entertainment Chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard serve as executive producers alongside Wade’s production company 59th & Prairie Entertainment.
This event will be hosted in the Arena’s lower bowl and is open to the public, but capacity is limited. Tickets will cost $3.00 each and will go on sale to the general public on Friday, January 17th at 10:00 a.m. exclusively on HEAT.com. There will be a four-ticket maximum for this event. Proceeds will benefit the Wade’s World Foundation. Fans in attendance will have an exclusive opportunity to take photographs with Wade’s jersey banner.
Let the celebration begin.
