Dwyane Wade is one proud papa! His 18-year-old son, Zaire, who is a budding basketball star in his own right, is headed off to do major things.
Zaire previously played basketball for Sierra Canyon High School in California, where he was teammates with Lebron James’s son Bronny. After injuring his ankle during his senior year, Zaire announced his plans to transfer to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire to complete a post-graduate year before heading to college.
Wade posted a heartfelt tribute to his firstborn just before he left the nest. “Dropping your oldest off to school is another set of emotions that I didn’t know existed,” he expressed in the caption of a sweet photo of the entire family. “I’m a proud father! My goal as a parent is to raise kids who know their worth and that are better than I could ever be. From watching Zaire build a company with his friends the last two years, To watching him handle the hate that has been thrown at his sister Zaya and showing grown ass men how to love unconditionally at 18 years old, to seeing how he’s been able to handle not seeing his parents interact or be in the same room together for most of his life and the list goes on and on. He’s already way ahead of me at 18.”
Gabrielle Union also sent well-wishes to her stepson as he takes “one step closer to his dreams.” She also mentioned the fear of sending a Black child away to school with racial tensions at an all-time high.
Before heading off for his next chapter, Zaire had been training with his dad and documenting their workouts on Instagram. Wade shared that his goal was to instill in his son the belief that if you “focus on the work, everything else becomes easy.”
Zaire announced his transfer to Brewster Academy in April, explaining that he decided to transfer from Sierra Canyon because he didn’t feel he got enough time on the court after healing from his ankle injury. He also said in the IG Live interview that he hopes his year at Brewster will make him a stronger player. “It’s gonna be exactly what I need to showcase my talent,” Zaire said. “There ain’t nothing to do in [New Hampshire] but get better.”
Congrats, Zaire!