Were you aware that D-Wade’s older children are chips off his old block? Yes, you read that right. For basketball, it’s Zaire Wade. And when it comes to fashion, guess who it is? His very own daughter, model Zaya Wade. And guess who is making the rounds recently? The 17-year-old again, has been making waves in the fashion industry and the LGBTQ+ community. And her latest gig with Seventeen magazine made Dad Dwyane Wade all smiles. Time to celebrate, right? Yes, ‘Kendrick Lamar’ joins the party. But how? For you to discover here!

While gracing the cover of the latest issue of Seventeen at 17, Zaya talks about her journey towards the runway, the bond she shares with the NBA legend and her stand in the Black and queer community. She reminisced about her runway debut at Miu Miu’s fall 2023 show during Paris Fashion Week.

“What I was really thinking about the whole time on the runway was that I was doing this very authentically,” Zaya said. While explaining why she decided to keep her hair as it is, she said, “I wasn’t diminishing the cultural importance of braids.” She further stated, “I wasn’t hiding my transition, my gender, or my skin.” After all of these, can you expect the Heat superstar not showing off his little girl’s achievement? Impossible! And it was done in the most D-Wade way. Guess how? By singing along to the one Kendrick song that’s been on everyone’s lips since the Super Bowl!

On D-Wade’s Instagram story, the father-daughter duo blasted ‘Not Like Us’ by Kendrick Lamar. Yes, the supposedly Drake diss track. D-Wade’s deep, booming voice with Zaya’s cool tone echoed the place with the line ‘they not like us’ and adding ‘sorry’ in between. And we can’t forget about their gestures, can we? By pointing to each other. That’s not all. Zaya also confided with us about their favorite show. The very queer-friendly ’Heartstopper’.

Zaya emphasizes how the Flash and her stepmom Gabrielle Union have always got her back since her transition as a female. The young trans talked about the NBA legend with so much pride that it was oozing out. She raved, “Especially as an African American male, to be so openly and outwardly accepting. Because honestly, him being raised in a traditional Black household in Chicago…the culture there isn’t very queer-friendly. I hope that it will continue to inspire people to allow themselves to learn and understand queerness before bashing it.” Well, that’s D-Wade for you. That’s how kids expect their dad to be, right? Not just an understanding father and a hooper, D Wade is ambitious too! Dwyane wants to conquer the world of fashion as well.

Is Dwyane Wade the next Tom Ford?

Did you know the Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade aspires to become a renowned fashion designer? It’s not news though. He has shown interest in fashion even when he was playing in the league.  In 2017, during an interview with the Crossover, he explained his plans, “I would love to see people dressed head to toe in, I don’t have a name right now, so let’s say, Dwyane Wade. I would love to see that.” A Hall of Famer of the NBA and a top designer! That would be one marvelous slam dunk, won’t you say?

In another interview with W Magazine, the Miami Heat star shared how he first ventured into the fashion world. According to his statements, his sense of fashion developed through swatches and lookbooks. He further elaborated on how making his ideas come to life had a major impact on him. Also, the icon advised to ‘always travel with a lint roller’.

The legend, who is a role model for many basketball players, has his role models in fashion. That’s right. He name-dropped Lenny Kravitz, Jason, and Denzel Washington for fashion inspiration. Citing their confidence and personal expressions with the way they dress. And he sure didn’t forget his NBA homies – Russell Westbrook and Kyle Kuzma. Perhaps, one day, we can see the name ‘Dwayne Wade’ among top designers like Tom Ford, Versace, and Gucci.