Together through highs and lows, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem have presented a clear image of true friendship. The Miami Heat‘s seasoned and eldest player concluded his remarkable two-decade career earlier this year. He was warmly welcomed into retirement by his old friend, D-Wade. While they crossed paths in college before, it was with the Heat that their relationship truly flourished.

The bond they share is so contagious that it has extended to their families as well, with UD often taking up ‘uncle’ responsibilities for Wade’s youngest. And it’s been this way for years. Back in 2010 when Haslem’s mother passed away, Wade didn’t think hesitate in dropping his plans to show up for his brother. 

Dwyane Wade’s touching gesture toward Udonis Haslem

Miami Heat’s loyal fans are well aware of the tight bond Wade had with his teammates. However, there are these little gestures that make them more like brothers. For Wade and Haslem, it was their similar backgrounds and challenging childhoods. After hearing about Haslem’s mother’s passing from cancer at 53, Wade who was out of Miami with his family, immediately arranged to come back home.

Although it might have been unexpected for many, Dwyane Wade and his family considered it their duty to be with their friend, Udonis Haslem. During a conversation shared with Heat Nation, Wade said, “He needed to get it out and we talked about it.”

D-Wade added, “He needed to talk about how hard it was for him and how it affected him.”

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The two were properly introduced in 2003 after Wade was selected by the Miami Heat. Speaking about their friendship, he said, “From there, we started sharing stories and realized we had so much in common, from our childhood to our upbringing to our families.” The two had faced very similar struggles.

The bond between Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem

Both experienced early parenthood.  At the age of 20, Wade embraced fatherhood, welcoming his first child, Zaire Wade, with his then-wife, Siohvaughn Funches. Meanwhile, Haslem, at the age of 18, became a father, as his first, Kedonis was born on December 23, 1998 with UD’s high-school girlfriend, Keke James. D-Wade and Udonis Haslem have 3 children now. But even their early lives saw similar paths.

Wade’s mother, Jolinda faced a challenging battle with drug addiction. As a young boy, Wade was often scared of police troubles. Eventually, custody shifted to his father. Likewise, Haslem’s mother Debra Haslem, also grappled with her own set of difficulties.

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During his mother’s tumultuous times, Haslem found reliance on his stepmother, Barbara Wooten. Earlier this week, Wooten passed away and once again, Dwyane Wade showed up to publicly support his brother. 

These experiences of overcoming familial struggles have not only shaped the resilience of these basketball icons but has also helped them develop one of the greatest off-court bonds in NBA history.