“I was born and raised in Chicago, but this is where I grew up… There’s no love like Miami love.” Dwyane Wade emotionally confessed in front of the Kaseya Center on October 26 as the Miami Heat gave him the gift of a lifetime. The 8-foot bronze statue that commemorated Wade’s iconic ‘This is my house’ celebration post his match-winning three-pointer against the Chicago Bulls in 2009, is the first of its kind—Wade is the first Heat player to get a statue. So, naturally this was not just special for the player but his family too…

Through tears Wade and his wife, Gabrielle Union, watched on as the former player’s eldest son, Zaire, gave an emotional speech talking about his father’s stature…

“I was going to bring notes up here, but I’m just going to talk from the heart. I appreciate you. I think why this is so dope of a moment is because just, like me and Pops talked about, this is one goal that I don’t think you set going into your career. There’s some things that happen through your hard work, through success, but it’s just so dope that he had other things as far as accolades go. And he crossed all those…from the All-Star appearances to the Championships to all that, but to achieve something that wasn’t necessarily set in mind is something special,” the youngster said before continuing…

“So I’m not here to talk about the accolades necessarily, but more so the man that is behind the statue that you guys are going to see. For me, he’s a father first…I think that goes over a lot of people’s head sometimes. No matter how that may get misconstrued, I can tell you first hand from many different examples…starting with some of my favorites, some memorable ones, just the things that you installed and instilled in me as a kid to make me the young man who I am today starting with one of my favorites, just perseverance,” he continued.

The 22-year-old, also a basketball player who was associated with the Cape Town Tigers of the Basketball Africa League, also talked about a defining moment that brought him closer to his ‘Pops’: “Another story I kind of want to give to you guys…It was after a game and I know I didn’t really play to the best of my ability, let’s say, and I was hanging my head low. I was embarrassed, to be honest, and that was the moment that you looked at me, asked me what was wrong and you gave me a hug. We didn’t talk about the game, we didn’t talk about accolades and talk about stats. You sat there and you showed me what it is to be a loving father before anything and I think ever since that day is when I really felt comfortable in myself, obviously on the court but also as a man off the court. You gave me that confidence….”

He then concluded with another important life lesson that’s helped him. Zaire said, “Before I finish I want to give one an analogy that my Pops taught me and I go about it every day. I want you guys to take it with you. Parents teach it to your kids if you haven’t, but enjoy the traffic whatever you do, enjoy traffic. Basically meaning that you know we all have a GPS, and we’re all in a hurry to get there, especially when we see the red or the yellow on the map. This blocking this and we’re going to be late, but sometimes you got to sit there, enjoy the traffic like my dad likes to say turn the volume down and just be at peace with what’s going on in a moment. Stay present, stay focused. I appreciate you for teaching me that. Obviously on my journey I continue to take it day by day, do my part. Hopefully that translates to continuing your legacy. Love you Pops!”  

Even before Zaire could complete the story, his father became emotional. Trying to wipe his tears with tissues, but his youngest knew what was needed at that time. Kaavia sat beside and hugged her father, as her brother Zaire continued speaking about Wade as a father.

Usually, the 5-year-old is always the one who would troll her family. Her Instagram is full of such content that Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade have shared. But on the emotional day, she was quick to realize that her father needed the comfort. Recently, the father-daughter also stole hearts during the pre-celebration party. Both wore white during the ‘Statues Are Forever’ in Miami’s Overtown, and were dancing together. The Heat legend shared the adorable moment on his Instagram, where the family celebrated during the emotional week.

But it was definitely a prouder moment for Zaire, whose life has been shaped by the icon, one moment in particular that helped him navigate the ups and downs through life.

Zaire Wade stands by his father’s teachings of perseverance

Zaire has always chosen his path, despite following in the footsteps of his father. Starting with college, while Dwyane Wade joined Marquette University, his son skipped it for the G League. Later, the eldest of the Wade children also played on different continents to keep his dream alive. From Africa to Asia, the 22-year-old did it all.

During his first stint in G League, Salt Lake City Stars, selected him as the 10th overall pick. But there he could only average 3.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game over 13 appearances only to be derailed by knee injury. Later, he moved to Africa to play for the Cape Town Tigers and upped his performance. With an average of  9.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, but nothing noteworthy yet. Earlier this year, he also represented Macau Black Bears in The Asian Tournament.

Recently, there were reports of him featuring in the G-League draft, but the event was a day ago, and unfortunately, he was undrafted. Regardless, Zaire looks to keep going, thanks to the important life lessons his ‘Pops’ have given him!

Do you remember any such moment with your father? Mention in the comments below!