Dwyane Wade was brought to tears as his son Zaire took the stage with a moving tribute during his Statue unveiling ceremony on Sunday.
“I’m not here to talk about the accolades necessarily, but more so the man that isbehind the statue,” Zaire began. “For me, he is my father first… I think that goes over a lot of people’s heads sometimes,” Zaire said, emphasizing his dad’s impact as a father, not just a sports icon. He reflected on life lessons Wade taught him, like the importance of “perserverance”
As Zaire, 22, continued to speak straight from the heart, his father became misty-eyed so much so that little sister Kaavia had to comfort the NBA icon.
“No matter what you do in this life, you will have obstacles—this goes for everybody out there…there will be ups and downs, but it is important to believe in yourself. It’s important to chase something that maybe only, at certain times, you can see,” Zaire said. “But you’ve got to get up every day and continue to put in the work to reach the outcome on the other side of hard, as we always talk about.”
Zaire’s speech grew more personal as he remembered a moment when he struggled after a poor game performance. “I was embarrassed,” he admitted, recalling how Wade gave him a hug instead of critiquing his game.
“You showed me what it is to be a loving father before anything else. I think ever since that day is when I really felt comfortable in myself—obviously on the court, but as a man off the court. You gave me that confidence in such a simple moment.”
As if that wasn’t enough to bring on the waterworks, Zaire shared a piece of wisdom from his dad that has stuck with him.
“Enjoy the traffic. Whatever you do, enjoy the traffic. We all have a GPS, necessarily, and we’re all in a hurry to get there, especially when we see the red or the yellow on the map. But sometimes, you have to sit there and enjoy the traffic. My dad likes to say, ‘Turn the volume down and just be at peace with what’s going on in the moment. Stay present, stay focused.’”
Closing his tribute, Zaire left his father with words that brought the crowd to applause. “I appreciate you for teaching me that. On my journey, I continue to take it day by day, doing my part and hopefully that translates to continuing your legacy. Love you, Pops. Thank you.”*