Dwyane Wade’s résumé could have stopped at three-time NBA champion, 13-time NBA All-Star and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer. But his basketball success has given him access to a wide range of people and opportunities, in ventures involving sports, education, entertainment, food and wine. His post-basketball duties expanded with last month’s announcement that he would join Prime Video’s NBA coverage for the 2025-26 season as an in-game and studio analyst.
Wade is considered one of the best players in NBA history because of his versatility on the court. In his post-NBA career, doing a little bit of everything still defines him.
Wade is the father of four children (and the guardian of a fifth), and he advocates for LGBTQ+ youth in solidarity with his daughter Zaya, who is transgender. He is married to actress Gabrielle Union. He’s a brand ambassador, a fashionista, a podcaster.
He’s a cancer survivor, as well.
With everything, Wade has a personal mission: Help people enter spaces they might not normally have access to.
“Not everyone is going to be invited into that room, so you can hold the door open to see if others can come in,” Wade told The Athletic. “If not, make sure that you’re doing your job, giving back to the people that you hope will walk through those doors.”
It’s been a challenging 18 months for Wade. On the Jan. 30 episode of his podcast, “The Why with Dwyane Wade,” he revealed he had a cancerous tumor removed from his right kidney on Dec. 18, 2023.
Wade admitted he hadn’t been as diligent about getting physicals since his playing days ended, but he eventually saw a doctor after having urinary and stomach issues. What specialists eventually discovered was a three-centimeter mass on his kidney: Stage 1 cancer.
“That moment was probably the weakest point I’ve ever felt in my life,” Wade said on the podcast. “The moments I was by myself, I was struggling.”
Wade, 43, tries to use his private experiences to lead public conversations that could help others, and he wanted to bring awareness to men’s health issues.
Additionally, his experiences with fatherhood have been an ongoing teachable moment. Wade published a book in 2012 sharing stories about his journey as a parent. More than a decade later, Wade works to be a protector for Zaya.
Wade didn’t plan on parenting publicly, but celebrity status and social media have made it difficult — though he has been careful with Zaya. In being her biggest supporter, Wade has tried to be an example for other parents in how to handle attacks on transgender rights and vitriol aimed at their families. Wade’s basketball career is revered in Miami (the nickname “Wade County” is a play on Dade County), but his family moved to California after his playing career in part because he didn’t believe his family would be “accepted” amid Florida’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies.
Wade doesn’t allow hate to change his parenting approach.
“I’m such a proud father, and I try to post my kids,” Wade said. “So, as my child got older and got confident and comfortable with us talking more about her and talking more about her situation, that’s when we did.”
Through his Dwyane Wade Family Foundation, Wade aims to provide resources to marginalized communities. The foundation also assisted in starting Translatable, a digital platform and online community — operated by both Wade and Zaya — that states it’s “a safe space for LGBTQIA+ youth to express themselves and is a resource hub for our parents, families and support systems.”
“We want to put our narrative out there, as well,” Wade said. “We know that other families, other kids, other people will be dealing with this and will go through these things. This is happening in real time.”
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6148084/2025/06/15/dwyane-wade-father-zaya-nba-wnba-nhl-business/
43 comments
Fuck DWade but he’s a real one
Lotta respect for that guy
Meanwhile Ant : fuck dem kids
Shout out to all the parents that have done this for their kids too.
wade is right. probably early 2010s miami would have been accepting,but Miami dade has shifted in the past few years. dwade always seemed like a good father from the outside looking in. kinda balances out the ant man
He’s such a stand up Dad and incredible example for other athletes and fathers
dwade the goat for this
What a shame to have a significant part of the population hate people because they’re different.
Wade says Trans Rights!
Florida is the worst
The amount of shitheads online who tried to call Wade a bad father because he loved his daughter and accepted her as she was instead of making her miserable is so fucking sad to me.
There’s a scene in I Saw The TV Glow where the main character breaks down and screams for her life out of nowhere while she’s at her job, just from the sheer pain of being alive.
If you deny your trans child the life they deserve, you are helping kill them, plain and simple.
In a time where nearly every off court story or sound bite from an NBA player is them being an absolute ignorant jackass, looking at you Tyler Herro, it’s so refreshing to hear an ex-player be so accepting and proud about it.
Need more of that in the world right now.
as someone with a trans brother who lives in florida I totally get where d wade is coming from
King shit
Remember when dwades ex was sittn in the street beggn for someome to listen to her and sayn dwade was infiltrated by the devil? That was wild
He was right to do that.
Are you going to be doomed if you spend a weekend in these places, yeah, probably not. But for a number of marginalized folks in America, it’s like being poor — you can skate by, until something, anything, goes wrong, and then it’s a real damn struggle.
Every time I hear about Wade’s life after his career I can’t help but think “hey, he’s a legitimately great dude”. Clearly has a lot of love for the people around him, something that’s shockingly rare these days.
Dwayne Wade is exemplary man. He was my favorite player growing up and continues to be my favorite legend. It has been amazing to see him be such an advocate for my community! All love and blessings to him and his lovely family!
Hated D Wade as a player since that 2006 bullshit ass series, but he seems like a really good dad that supports his kids and supports the LGBTQ community. We need more of that love and support in this world.
It’s awful we live in a world where children are at risk simply for being themselves.
❤️
People hate this guy for being a supportive parent
First ballot HoF Dad
In a world where meeting your heroes usually leads to disappointment, I’m glad Wade is the real deal as a human.
Happy Father’s Day!
in a league that probably has a lot of transphobes (especially MtF) he could’ve easily distanced himself from his daughter and would’ve probably been celebrated/understood by his peers and the fact that he went out of his way to make sure his kid had the safest possible environment to grow up speaks volumes
Never liked him as a player (because he always torched my Orlando Magic), but the man deserves utmost respect.
I wanted to type out how bigots are absolutely disgusting but I’d rather praise Wade.
Much respect for him for being a stand up parent & human. Salute to Dwayne for being a face for other parents who just want to see their children succeed regardless of how they may live and who they love.
It’s not some giant, bold stance to support your kid like this, but with his position as a sports icon, it goes so far considering the rampant transphobia and homophobia in sports circles
Truly inspiring stuff
It’s weird how much hate Wade gets for simply loving his kid. It’s to the point that people question his own sexuality.
Big respect for doing what’s right for your kid and supporting what they want to do. Too many parents treat their children as copies of themselves and lose it when they turn out different. It doesn’t impact me or anyone else so let them do what they want to do.
Seeing him support his daughter without fear, regret or standing down has been one of my favorite things these last few years. Too many parents with 0.0001% the public reach would try to hide their child out of imagined shame, he has been loud and proud to be his daughter’s father. A lot of people would do well to learn from that example
Happy Father’s Day to DWade and all the other great dads out there.
I fucking hated Wade and those Heat teams but that dude is a top tier human being and I respect the hell out of that dude.
Class act
Wade is 100% correct. Florida has become the hellhole he feared. Definitely not a good place to raise kids.
I’m a trans woman and love the NBA (and WNBA now), and Wade has been a bright light for us, when so much of the NBA world is still homophobic as all hell.
He is an inspiring father and person
Thank you Dwayne and Gabrielle. They are setting an example that love and acceptance for all people is fundamental to our humanity. Take care. 🙂
Wade has always, and continues to be, a class guy. I can see why him and LeBron are best friends. Both have the same set of values.
Social media vitriol is crazy anytime his daughter is brought up. Ugh
I do not follow basketball but Dwyane Wade just earned my respect. I am not a member of the LGBT community but I have and if necessary will again stand between them and someone trying to oppress them.
One morning I got a text from my youngest: Good morning, I’m trans.
I texted back: Good morning, I’m mom.
I only wish as a mom they could have told me 8-10 years earlier as they were already aware.
“But, but… communism and taxes.” – Morons From Florida That Don’t Have Nickel To Their Name
Dwyane Wade is a good dad. Fuck the haters.