11 times Dwyane Wade stood up for Zaya Wade in the face of bigotry

Raising kids is a responsibility that is about more than making sure they have food and shelter. Dwayne Wade has shown a deep understanding of how to give his family the emotional support they need. The father of five has been giving a masterclass in parenting with all of his children, but especially with Zaya since she came out as transgender in 2020.

Zaya herself has praised her father for being “so openly and outwardly accepting.” In a cover story with Seventeen, she pointed out that their hometown of Chicago isn’t exactly “very queer-friendly.” With that in mind, she hopes her father will continue to inspire people to embrace who they are and, perhaps most importantly, take a moment to understand before passing judgment.

Below, REVOLT took a detailed look at 11 times Dwyane Wade stood up for Zaya, even when it felt like the world was seemingly against them.

1. “You can learn something from your kids.”

Dwyane has never shied away from showing up for his kids, regardless of outside opinions. On Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson’s “All the Smoke” podcast, he opened up about supporting then-12-year-old Zaya and the lessons he’s learned from her courage. “We want them to be whoever they feel like they can be in this world,” he explained. With the weight of being both Black and LGBTQ+, the former NBA player made it his priority that she always felt seen and loved.

2. “So when a child comes home with a question, when a child comes home with an issue, when a child comes home with anything, it’s our job as parents to listen to that.”

Much like any good role model, the Marquette University alumnus is the kind of parent who listens first. When Zaya told him and Gabrielle Union that she was transitioning in 2020, the two stood by her without hesitation. During a sit-down with “The Ellen Show," he talked about how his job as a father wasn’t to tell his kids who they should be but rather to make sure they were comfortable enough to be themselves.

3. "I had to go and look at myself in the mirror and say, 'Who are you? What are you going to do if your child comes home and says, “Dad, I'm not a boy, I'm a trans girl.” What are you going to do?' That was my moment of real."

When Dwyane realized Zaya was trans, his first instinct wasn’t to “correct” her — as some parents might be tempted to do. It was to check himself. On "Good Morning America," he admitted that before his daughter came out, he had never personally known anyone who was trans. That forced him to take a hard look at the things he once said in locker rooms and question what kind of father he wanted to be.

4. "You could take shots at me all day, but when you take shots at my family, now I got a problem."

The NBA legend has dealt with public scrutiny his entire career, especially during his Big Three era, but one thing he’s made particularly clear throughout his life after the NBA: Family is off-limits. During “The Fat Joe Show,” the Utah Jazz co-owner revealed that at first, he hesitated to post his daughter on social media before quickly realizing that shielding her wasn’t the answer.

“Don't ex [Zaya] out because of some comments, of what people gonna say, right? Because a lot of people out here in the comments, they're uneducated on life,” Dwyane said. If people wanted to be loud in their ignorance, he was going to be louder in his love.

5. “Something as simple as unconditional love is not being given to these kids, and I’ll be Godd**ned if my child gon’ be that person because of something as simple as me supporting who you are.”

The former Miami Heat point guard also knows exactly what’s at stake for trans kids, which is why the criticism from Boosie Badazz, B2K’s J-Boog, and several others never faze him, at least not publicly. During the "I Am Athlete" podcast, he spoke about the very real dangers trans kids face, whether it be self-inflicted violence or suicide. Per a 2024 report from The Trevor Project, suicide attempt rates among those aged 13 to 24 have climbed to a staggering 44 percent. Every child deserves unconditional love, and that shouldn’t be up for debate.

6. "You have to look it in the face. My daughter looking at me across the table, I have to — this is something I need to deal with."

Parents know all too well that some situations leave no room for avoidance. During a sit-down with "The Daily Show," Trevor Noah asked the retired baller what helped him come to terms with Zaya’s experience. Wade admitted there was no choice but to face the reality of what she was going through: “The only answer that I knew and that I had [was] that this is my child.” Even without having all the right words, he at least understood his job was to show up and support her.

7. “Our kids are gonna be who they are. It’s our job to help mold them and help try to push them in the right places that they want to go.”

Dwyane Wade has heard all the excuses from parents who struggle to accept their trans kids, and at the 2022 Met Gala, he shut them down. Speaking with Variety, he called out the tendency for parents to see their children as mini versions of themselves instead of who they truly are.

8. "Zaya, you’ve made me a better human just simply by being who you were born to be — a baby girl, Zaya Wade."

While accepting the President’s Award at the 54th NAACP Image Awards, the Chicago native used the moment to honor none other than Zaya. Speaking directly to his daughter, he acknowledged the strength it takes for her to be herself in a world that isn’t always accepting. "To say that your village is proud of you is an understatement," he shared, with Gabrielle Union standing right beside him.

9. "There's been a transition for the world, but for us, I see the same kid that I've seen since May 29, 2007. Nothing has changed."

Interestingly, Dwyane envisioned Zaya playing alongside other second-generation hoopers like Bronny James and Kiyan Anthony — the sons of LeBron and Carmelo, respectively. However, that dream faded once he truly got to know his daughter. "See what happens when you start making plans for other people's lives?" the Chicago native asked Shannon Sharpe.

10. "I want to show her what unconditional love looks like so she can use me as this sounding board through life."

“The Cube” host knows what unconditional love really looks like. In an interview with PEOPLE, he explained why it’s so important for Zaya to feel like she can come to him about any and everything. Speaking on his own parents, he shared, “We have no judgment with each other ... and so that’s how I treat my kids.”

11. "When it came time to be a parent to Zaya in something that I did not understand, I knew what to do. I knew to love and accept what I did not understand."

Dwyane Wade didn’t wait until he had all the answers to support Zaya. Onstage at 2024’s Make Good Famous Summit, the three-time NBA championship winner revealed that forced him to start listening differently in locker rooms, have deeper conversations with his friends — regardless of how uncomfortable it might be — and challenge his own mindset. “I learned that I couldn't just be a lazy parent in this one,” Dwyane, who took home the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award that night, shared.