Celebrating his mom’s birthday first and now some quality practice sessions with his dad. Zaire Wade is trying his best to balance the differences that the custody battle may have caused between his parents. Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade is also giving his all to help his eldest child through his basketball journey. The Miami Heat icon’s recent practice session with Zaire seemed to be a part of the same process.

However, apart from this being just a practice session, the instance seemed to be a perfect opportunity for the father-son duo to bond. Sharing the clips on his Instagram story, Wade wrote, “This is how we check in our love language.” The first major step in Zaire’s pro basketball journey came with the NBA G League. But he did not have the kind of run he would’ve desired.

The 22-year-old played 13 games in season 2021-22 for the Salt Lake City Stars, averaging just 4.6 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. However, the young talent did not give up on his basketball dream. He decided to take a different route to accomplish his NBA dreams.

Taking his talents to the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Zaire improved with 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.3 rebounds. More recently, the 22-year-old has been playing for the ASEAN Basketball League with the Macau Black Bears. Neither he nor Dwyane Wade is giving up on the NBA dream.

This recent father-son practice session can be seen as a smaller part of that bigger picture, as the session also included Chris Johnson. The CEO and founder of Jus Hoop—a player development company based in Los Angeles, offers professional coaching services. Apart from this, Johnson is also a mental coach. He was himself seen in D-Wade’s IG stories, giving out some pointers on the moves closer to the basket.

Dwyane Wade appreciates the “beauty of the struggle” his son is going through

Dwyane Wade is no stranger to the grind, and he’s passing that wisdom on to his son. Reflecting on his own journey, Wade’s recent comments during his The Wine Down podcast are worth hearing. “I love the beauty of the struggle. The journey is where the excitement is, where you feel alive,” he said. Emphasizing that the road to success is often more rewarding than the destination itself.

And who would know better than Wade? Despite dominating high school basketball and setting records, Wade’s road wasn’t all smooth. With low ACT scores, only three Division 1 schools showed interest. Failing to meet academic eligibility, he spent his freshman year at Marquette sidelined.

But Wade didn’t give up. He transformed into a Marquette legend, leading the team to the Final Four and crafting a legacy that eventually took him to the NBA. Wade sees his son Zaire facing similar challenges. The comparisons to his Hall of Fame dad are relentless, but Wade finds inspiration in his son’s persistence.

“To watch Zaire get up every day and chase something when everybody’s telling him he shouldn’t… There’s beauty in that,” the 3x NBA champ said. Although he wants his son to have his own journey, Wade is constantly by his side, as reflected in the recent practice sessions.

Stay tuned for more updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.