Dwayne Wade devoted countless hours of blood, sweat and tears to his 16-year NBA career and hoped to enjoy retirement. His break from basketball gave him time to spend with family and to pursue other passions in his life. Things were going great until he experienced a shocking blow: a cancerous tumor on his kidney. Wade’s eventual surgery motivated him to make changes to his healthcare habits and brought about a partnership with an esteemed healthcare product.
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Wade was enjoying the beauties of retirement. That came to an abrupt stop when he experienced pain in his stomach and complications with his urinary system.
He hadn’t undergone an examination from doctors in a few years, so tests were ordered. After they conducted a full body scan, the medical professionals identified a lesion on Wade’s right kidney. Further testing revealed it to be cancerous.
Returning to full health was the top of Wade’s priority list. In late January 2025, Wade spoke on the details of the surgery on his The Why With Dwyane Wade podcast.
“That moment was probably the weakest point I’ve ever felt in my life,” Wade said. “The moments I was by myself, I was struggling, dog. Struggling.”
The last thing Wade wanted was his family to see him in that state. “You don’t want to be perceived as weak, and you don’t want to be seen in your weak moments. But I had to,” Wade confessed. There was only one viable option he could take.
Wade went ahead with the procedure, and it went fairly smoothly. The whole experience was eye-opening for the 3x NBA champion. One brand’s values resonated with Wade and his new emphasis on health.
The Miami Heat legend collaborated with the supplement company Thorne. In an exclusive interview with “Kicks on SI,” Wade went in-depth regarding why Thorne stood out.
“[Thorne’s] standards were as high as my standards,” Wade said. “If you are putting your name, voice, and brand behind something, you want to make sure it levels up.”
Wade revealed that, compared to rival companies, Thorne has the “highest quality.” This was one of the big deciding factors that led him to partner with them, and it was a direct result of his kidney surgery.
“I’ve been more focused on my health journey since my kidney surgery in 2023,” Wade revealed.
The Hall-of-Fame guard is 43 years old and feels like he is in his prime. His health focus has ignited a fire within him and now serves as a source of motivation for many other people.
