Dwayne Wade had a serious health scare just over a year ago.
The retired NBA guard revealed for the first time that he had 40 percent of one of his kidneys removed in December 2023 when doctors discovered a cancerous tumor.
In an episode of his The Why with Dwayne Wade Podcast, the 43-year-old opened up about the “shocking” diagnosis, describing how he ignored his health for years until his dad, Dwayne Wade Sr. got prostate cancer. Wade Jr. was inspired to go in for a check-up; at the time, he was also experiencing stomach issues, cramps, and urination problems.
After a scan, his doctor found a “cyst/tumor” on one of his kidneys, Wade said. “And the doctor was like, ‘You need to have kidney surgery.’”
After receiving the same diagnosis from multiple doctors, Wade decided to get surgery on Dec. 18, 2023.
“I had a personal decision to make, and what it was was, ‘If this is cancerous, if this tumor, this cyst is cancerous, on your kidney, you’re 41 years old, you probably need surgery because it's something that needs to be removed so it doesn’t spread,’” Wade said.
The ordeal showed him why it’s important to have a strong support system, like family, at your side.
“My own journey to have that surgery, I think it was the first time that my family, my dad, my kids, they saw me weak,” Wade explained. “That moment was probably the weakest point I’ve ever felt in my life”
“As a man, you never want your family to see you weak,” he shared. “Don’t want to be perceived weak, don’t want to be seen in your weakest moments but I had to.”
Wade has four kids. He and his ex-wife, Siovaughn Funches share two children: 22-year-old Zaire and 17-year-old Zaya. He shares 11-year-old Xavier with Aja Metoyer and six-year-old Kaavia James with Gabrielle Union. He also is legal guardian to his 21-year-old nephew, Dahveon Morris.
