Former NBA player Dwyane Wade has revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer.
The now-retired point guard and shooting guard said Thursday on his podcast The Why with Dwyane Wade, that 40 percent of his right kidney was removed over one year ago. The surgery came shortly after he first received the news that he had cancer.
The former Miami Heat player learned of the diagnosis after years putting off his annual check-up. After reflecting on his father’s experience with prostate cancer, Wade finally made an appointment and explained that he had symptoms including stomach issues, cramps, and was urinating slowly.
He was “checking, like, ‘Why is my piss coming out slow, why is my stream ain’t powerful? Why is it a little weak?’” he told his podcast co-host, Bob Metelus.
After receiving a full-body scan the doctor discovered a “cyst/tumor” on one of his kidneys and told Wade he needed kidney surgery, which multiple other doctors confirmed.
“I made a decision to have surgery on December 18, 2023,” Wade said. “My father was there to walk me into the hospital. My wife was there when I woke up. There’s only two people you can have in hospital.”
The biopsy after the surgery confirmed that the tumor was cancerous. “Obviously, at 41 years old [I’m a] pretty healthy guy that did have cancer,” the former athlete said.
“Thank God that I did do the surgery because the tumor was cancerous. So, I have one kidney and I have another kidney that is [at] 60 percent. They took 40 percent of my kidney to make sure they can get all the cancer off it.”
Wade did not reveal any further details about his health. But he did reveal how difficult it was to be vulnerable with his loved ones amid his diagnosis and surgery.
He shares children Zaire, 22, and Zaya, 17, with ex-wife Siovaughn Funches, son Xavier, 10, with ex Aja Metoyer and daughter Kaavia, 6, with his current wife Gabrielle Union.
As for “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 said. “That moment was probably the weakest point I’ve ever felt in my life.”
The “moment I was by myself, I was struggling, dog,” he added. “One thing you never want to do as a man … is [for] your family to see you weak. It’s tough.”
He expressed how grateful he was for his family, however, to step in during his recovery as he vowed to “do things differently.”
“I saw everybody show up for me and be there for me,” Wade said. “In that process of my weakness, I found strength in my family, in my friends, in my group.”
