Being a superstar athlete comes at a price, and Dwyane Wade knows all about that. Due to his busy schedule during his time in the league, he missed quite a bit of his kids’ lives. However, since his retirement in 2019, Wade has been making up for lost time as a father, and he has been doing a great job of it.
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Wade is a father to five children, but it is Zaya who has her dad gleaming with pride this time. Wade celebrated Zaya’s latest modeling campaign with luxury fashion house Chanel.
The 17-year-old is featured wearing pieces from the CHANEL Fine Jewelry collection, specifically the Coco Crush and Collection N°5 lines. For Wade, it wasn’t just her modelling achievement that impressed him, but also her academic excellence.
He shared the Chanel photoshoot on his story, captioning it, “My baby is an A+ student and she stays working.”
Proud dad Dwyane Wade gushes over daughter Zaya’s success in the classroom and in front of the camera! pic.twitter.com/BEG4adUAal
— Top NBA Fan (@TopNBAFanToday) May 16, 2025
Zaya Wade has become a rising star in both fashion and activism. While making waves in the fashion industry as a Chanel partner, she’s also maintaining strong academic performance—something her father holds in the highest regard.
Her recent work with Chanel adds another chapter to her growing resume, and Wade’s public praise serves as a powerful reminder that for this father-daughter duo, success is measured not only in campaigns and brand deals but in character, confidence, and academic commitment.
Dwyane has regularly spoken about how his presence is the least he can do. It is the baseline upon which he builds the rest of his parenting.
“Just Show Up”
Wade did an interview for CNBC that focused on his experience as a parent, and his vocal position on accepting one’s child for whoever they might be. During the interview, he dropped an incredible one line motto that every parent should adopt as their own.
“I just try to show up. Whatever that looks like for you [because] all of our lives are different,” said Wade, “I try to make sure I show up for everybody and my kids. I show up in moments that I know are important to them.”
Any child who has ever sat waiting for a parent to show up at an event knows the pain of staring into the crowd and not seeing anyone there to cheer them on.
Considering Wade’s background of growing up in a military home, his soft and kind approach seems to be the opposite of what he grew up with. Still, kindness is never the wrong choice, and Wade’s five children all seem to have an excellent relationship with both him and his wife, Gabrielle Union. That should be celebrated.
