Dwyane Wade was just 8 years old when his sister, Tragil Wade, sent him to live with their father. She wanted to protect her brother. Their father, Dwyane Wade Sr. loved his kids, but he was also tough on them. From competing with his father in the backyard, leaving the house at 16, to stunning people in the NBA, the 3x NBA champion has come a long way. He is also a successful businessman now. But it wouldn’t have been possible without his father and his discipline, which were often too tough. And Wade made sure to let the world know it during his Hall of Fame speech.
Wade didn’t want to leave his mother and sister. It was Tragil who had to trick him, saying he was only going to visit his father in Robbins. Living with his father, stepmother, and step-siblings, he made new friends and learned his father’s strict military discipline and ways. Tragil recounted how Wade Sr. made “The Flash” compete with older boys and didn’t let go until little Wade learned to use his left hand. Wade Sr. was his first coach. Tragil recounted how Wade Sr. made “The Flash” compete with older boys and didn’t let go until little Wade learned to use his left hand, a testament to his unwavering commitment to developing his son’s complete skillset.
He was so devoted to coaching him that, by the time Wade went to high school, his father was banned. Looking back at his father’s ways, Wade took some time but understands it now and admires him. “The hard work I put in is because I didn’t want to let you down. Those countless hours in the backyard where we would compete against each other like strangers—it built me to last,” Wade said during his Hall of Fame speech.
“I admired you as a kid. I admire you now… I love you, and I’m thankful for you,” Wade hugged his father after he invited him to join him on stage. “I love you too, man,” Wade Sr. said. These were words Wade didn’t hear from his father during his childhood. There was a slight resentment at how strict his father had been. It was tough and difficult for a young kid to understand his ways. During the practices, when he fell short of any shot, he wasn’t shown mercy at all. “Im talking about my shoulder hurting, my hand hurting, I’m hungry, I’m thirsty, whatever; he didn’t give a fuck. And so that was tough as a kid,” he said.
Jan 14, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Former Miami Heat player Dwayne Wade reacts after learning a statue will be erected outside of Kaseya Center in 2025, during a special ceremony during halftime of the game between the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Wade has come to respect his father’s discipline and has been able to build a connection. This is quite a different and positive change from the past, when he was “scared” of his father. But if he was scared of his father, why did he leave the house?
Why did Dwyane Wade leave his father’s home early?
The Miami Heat champ left his father’s home at the age of 16. In his interview with GQ, the 3x NBA champion explained that the environment had become “toxic,” and he had to move out of the house to focus on his career. While Wade hasn’t gone into extensive detail, it’s plausible that the dynamics of a blended family, coupled with the intense pressure of his burgeoning basketball career and a natural teenage desire for independence, contributed to an environment he felt he needed to distance himself from to thrive. Looking back at his decision, he recounted that he needed structure.
While his father’s house didn’t provide that structure, Wade said that his ex-girlfriend Siovaughn Funches’ home gave him that peace, and he decided to move. It wasn’t an easy decision for him, as he had to leave his loved ones behind. “I needed to be selfish… I got out there and put my life in the hands of another family and not my family,” he said.
It wasn’t an easy decision for Wade Sr.’s end either. However, he said that it had to be that way. During the Wine Down podcast, he revealed that he himself left his parents’ house around the same age Wade did. Over time, however, the Heat legend was able to rebuild that connection with his father. Wade’s soul-touching message during his Hall of Fame ceremony shows that. This public display of love and forgiveness, with Wade inviting his father to share the stage, served as a powerful moment of closure, highlighting the full circle of their journey from a strained relationship to one of deep respect and admiration. From coaching to fatherhood, Wade’s journey with his father came full circle.
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