Dwyane Wade’s Wife Gabrielle Shows Love to 56-Year-Old NBA Veteran in a Heartfelt Exchange

Gabrielle Union, wife of former basketball star Dwyane Wade, has taken on the wagon of being a supportive acquaintance for NBA veteran, Rex Chapman. Once a University of Kentucky basketball superstar, life after his retirement from the NBA derailed massively. But he has now corrected his path and Union, who has gone through similar issues in the past which left her vulnerable, was right there providing support.

On February 29th, while traveling, Gabrielle decided to pick up Rex’s memoir as her read for the journey. She even shared a selfie with the book on her official X account and captioned it, “Thank you for your transparency and vulnerability in telling your story @RexChapman Proud of you my friend.”

What followed after this was a genuine interaction between the two. In response to her February post now, Rex Chapman highlighted Gabrielle’s possession of his book, along with a link from where one can purchase it. The 51-year-old American actress further reiterated her love for It’s Hard for Me to Live with Me: A Memoir. She said, “And I love it. You have so much more to say…can’t wait for the sequel. Orrrrrr the TV show.”

Rex Chapman, touched by the words of Dwyane Wade’s wife, expressed his appreciation for the support that he has received from her, writing, “MY Gab! love you much.” Union again replied, writing, “Love you back my friend. Oh and I should also tell you about @Runza.” Why she tagged the fast-food chain is up for debate but the love and admiration between the two was clear to see.

Union is so appreciative of Chapman’s actions because of what she herself has gone through. She once revealed that she had insecurities at the start of her career, which took a toll on her mental health. But she embraced this vulnerability and came out of it as a stronger woman. And that is something that happened with Chapman as well.

In line with his nickname of King Rex, Chapman had a good record during his basketball days. Chapman’s career in the NBA spanned close to 12 years and he averaged 14.6 points per game. Though now a social media influencer and popular podcaster, Rex had his fair share of personal struggles back in the day.

Rex Chapman’s corrected course

After retirement from the NBA, he had a lot of time on his hands and not knowing a better use of it at the time, he engaged in painkillers. As a result, he developed an addiction to them for an extended period. He didn’t stop there. He also developed a gambling addiction.

Little did he know that his indulgence in such acts would cost him his family and all the fortune that he accumulated over the course of his life. As the aforementioned transformed into reality, he found himself living in his car and shoplifting to support his addictions. Once arrested by the police, his mugshot ran in the national news. This was the time when he decided to commence his journey towards getting clean.

All these instances are detailed in his book. He unflinchingly describes his struggles with self-acceptance. He found himself in rehab three times. The third time in rehab worked for him and he found himself getting re-acquainted with the game of basketball. Once he got out of rehab, he joined the media landscape of the game he loved so much.

Since then, he has managed to keep his addictions at bay. Rex Chapman’s life is a tale of recovery that stands as an inspiration to many.