Dwyane Wade has been nothing short of a family man since retiring from the NBA, constantly showing off his wife and children on social media. Back in 2020, the Heat legend showed love to his oldest son, Zaire. He congratulated him on acceptance into Brewster Academy, a private boarding school in New Hampshire, for a postgraduate year after graduating from Sierra Canyon.
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Wade’s emotional message to his son far transcended the game of basketball, though, as the 43-year-old praised Zaire for everything he has accomplished before even becoming an adult. The Hall of Famer opened up on his experience watching his son grow and transform into the man he is today while witnessing his accomplishments and achievements firsthand.
Wade knows Zaire had a different childhood experience, considering his parents’ relationship didn’t last long. That didn’t stop Zaire from accepting Gabrielle Union and the rest of the Wade children as his family, though, showing immense maturity at a young age. At the time, Zaire was just 18 years old, but the three-time champion confidently said his son had already accomplished more than he had at that age.
“My goal as a parent is to raise kids who know their worth and that are better than I could ever be,” Wade said. “From watching Zaire build a company with his friends the last two years, to watching him handle the hate that has been thrown at his sister Zaya and showing grown a** men how to love unconditionally at 18 years old…”
D-Wade also shined a light on Zaire persevering through his parents’ separation: “To seeing how he’s been able to handle not seeing his parents interact or be in the same room together for most of his life, and the list goes on and on. He’s already way ahead of me at 18.”
The 13-time All-Star was ecstatic to see his son continue his life journey. Now 23 years old, however, Zaire was given a warning by his father regarding his quickly waning NBA dreams.
Dwyane Wade warned his son about his path to the NBA
Zaire has always had a dream of dominating in the NBA, just as his father did. But D-Wade kept it real with Zaire, stressing that his name alone won’t be enough to solidify his spot in the pros. If Zaire hopes to make the leap to league, he’ll have to continue putting in work every day, just as any other professional athlete.
“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 has spent time overseas since his 2021 G League stint, unable to crack an NBA roster. He still has plenty of time to make a career for himself, but simply being a Wade won’t be enough to convince teams to sign him.
