It’s been a hot topic for years, but Dwyane Wade couldn’t care less. When the NBA legend first showed off his painted nails, critics were quick to pounce. Former rapper Ma$e didn’t hold back, comparing it to “Michael Jordan in lingerie.” He added, “It’s just crushing. It’s what you don’t want to see. It just ruined everything.” Yet, despite the noise, Wade kept heading back to the nail salon, picking whatever colors felt right.

“This is what I do. I don’t hide it, I don’t do it for anybody else, I do it for myself. I like it, I really don’t care about the reaction,” Wade once said. But why does he stick with it?

Well, it’s all part of his alter ego—Flash. “It’s a whole different life being Flash than it was being merely Dwyane Wade as a basketball player,” he explained. “I had to become Flash. You had to get into character. I had to get into a character.” The flashy clothes, the confidence, and yes, the nail polish, were all part of the transformation.

Of course, some fans couldn’t separate the man from the myth. “Like right now, right, you get people who will look at something like, ‘Man, Dwyane Wade paints his nails. That’s not the player that I loved playing basketball.’ That basketball player was someone different. That was Flash,” Wade said on Chris Johnson’s Just Win Podcast.

Recently, Wade found the perfect clapback. After Noah Lyles won the 100-meter gold at the Paris Olympics, photos showed the sprinter proudly sporting nail polish on his pinky. Wade didn’t miss a beat, quote-tweeting, “And he got his nails painted. 😂 Say something. 👂” He even doubled down on Instagram, joking, “Y’all waking up petty me.”

Clearly, Wade’s not just embracing his hobby—he’s normalizing it. But he didn’t stop there.

Dwyane Wade slams haters

It’s no secret that Dwyane Wade’s fashion choices, including his painted nails, have stirred plenty of opinions. During an interview with W Magazine, the three-time NBA champ was asked how he handles the constant chatter about his bold style.

“They’re going to talk about me regardless,” Wade replied. “If this is what I like, this is what feels good on my body, and this is what helps me perform better, then I should be focused on that. Sometimes people don’t understand or sometimes you’re ahead of the wave. So you have to forgive people for not understanding.”

Clearly, Wade’s not interested in fitting into anyone else’s mold. And his longtime friend and former teammate Udonis Haslem also agree with it.

“My dawg [Wade] has always been a trendsetter when it comes to fashion, he’s always not giving a f—, he has always been willing to push the odds a little bit. He’s been doing nothing wrong by supporting his kids… So, regardless of that, sitting at home, painting his nails with his daughters, so f— what!” UD said.

And Haslem also made sure to drive the point home. “In the world today, when we see so many girls that grow up and have daddy issues, and he’s making sure that don’t happen. And we criticise that s—. Stop that s—, that’s hatin’.”

So at the end of the day, love it or hate it, Wade’s not changing for anyone.