Some sons of former NBA players, such as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, easily broke into the league and accomplished far more than their fathers did at the professional level. On the flipside though, there are sons of former players who aspire to be like their fathers but haven’t been able to break through yet. The second one is exactly the case with 23-year-old Zaire Wade, who is the son of Dwyane Wade.
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When Dwyane was asked how difficult it is for his son to try to play basketball with the Wade name, the Heat legend acknowledged that it had to be tough, but also was adamant that name recognition doesn’t matter once Zaire steps on the court. D-Wade didn’t have this same pressure growing up, so this is a completely new experience for the Hall of Famer.
Unlike Shannon Sharpe, who hosted the former guard on his show, Club Shay Shay, Wade didn’t have a professional athlete father or brother to set the standard for greatness. His father notably put him through grueling training on his path to stardom, but Wade’s dad was far from an NBA-worthy talent.
“I had an older brother who was good, but he wasn’t Hall of Fame good. He wasn’t at the level of the Sharpes … And so I have no idea what Zaire is experiencing from that standpoint, and I can’t act like I know,” Wade said. “But for me, and to me, none of that really matters when you in between those lines.”
Dwyane highlighted the fact that having a father who played in the league can get you looks from teams or get you talked about, but your performance on the court will determine your level of success. “So for me, it’s about what you do when you get between the lines. That’s what all determines if you shut people up, or you keep them talking,” the 43-year-old continued.
Wade has warned his son regarding his path to the NBA. Already two years out of college, Zaire has played in both the NBA G-League and in Africa, but he shouldn’t be expecting a call from an NBA team just because of his last name.
D-Wade warned Zaire about his basketball aspirations
Dwyane Wade made his stance clear while talking to Sharpe, but he’s also told Zaire straight to his face that he has to practice and succeed like a pro before he should expect any real recognition. His last name won’t be earning Zaire any shortcuts in this business.
“You have to be a pro,” Wade said, “It don’t matter what your name is, how talented you are, you have to show up every day as a pro.” Zaire is still a young player who may not have hit his peak yet, but he’ll need to truly lock in if he hopes to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Zaire has shared his dreams of making the NBA in the past. He claims that it doesn’t bother him that he faces nepotism allegations from time to time in the media and the public.
In a 2023 interview before his G-League debut, Zaire had said, “I’ve just been Zaire my whole life. I know what my dad has done and definitely get a lot of attention, whether it’s good or bad. He always tells me not to get too high or too low, which keeps me focused on what I need to be focused on.”
But unfortunately, those dreams appear to be fading away and Dwyane’s warning is proving to be accurate. Never viewed as a impact-making prospect during the draft process, Zaire will have to continue to prove he’s more than just an overseas talent before he catches the eye of an NBA team.
His father will continue to support him in this, as he has also done for Zaire’s sister, Zaya. Both Dwyane and his wife Gabrielle Union have been the model of parenting, protecting their son from trolls who see him as nothing more than his father’s name and their daughter from a world that criminalizes her existence.
