In a recent interview, Dwyane Wade opened up about the moment he realized he had to let go of the idea of his daughter Zaya following in his footsteps and becoming a basketball player.
Wade has four biological children and is the legal guardian of his sister’s biological son. He previously said that he believed he and other NBA stars would have the next generation of great basketball players with their “mini-mes.”
However, Wade had a change of heart after realizing that he wanted Zaya to be free to choose her own path in life.
“I had a boy. I had another boy, and that was my second in a row. And see what happens when you start making plans for other people’s lives?” Wade said to Shannon Sharpe on his “Club Shay Shay” podcast.
Wade and Sharpe agreed that it is now Zaya’s journey to complete.
Wade also spoke about the challenges that Zaya faces as a transgender person.
“I think about the safety of my kid. I think about the safety of other kids in the trans community. I think about how the world is trying to hush and exile an entire community like they do not exist,” Wade said.
“As Black people, don’t we know about that? Damn right, we do. And we’re the main ones that are talking about the trans community. The main ones that won’t open and accept, and we want the world to accept us. Like, what are we doing?”
Wade’s story is a powerful reminder that it is important to support our children and allow them to be who they are. We should not try to force them to live up to our own expectations.
