"Giving back to the people" - Dwyane Wade's life after NBA is masterclass on turning pain into power

Time of India

16-06-2025

Dwyane Wade retired from the NBA in 2019, playing for the Miami Heat as his last team. What will Dwyane Wade do after retirement? More than anyone, it was the man himself who needed an answer to this question.
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However, he did not have to wait for the answer for long. Sooner than anticipated, he put himself together, and what followed thereafter was a calendar full of activities, mostly dedicated to the causes dear to him. Dwyane Wade, indeed, had the power to make a difference in the world around him. He called his multiple activities a way of 'giving back to the people.' Here is how he achieved the unthinkable with his sheer power and empathetic approach.
Dwyane Wade suffered major setback right after leaving NBA
While Dwyane Wade's NBA career was decorated with achievements, his life right after the retirement didn't turn as he wanted. Wade started experiencing digestive and urinary issues, which were later diagnosed as Stage 1 cancer in right kidney. In 'The Why with Wade' podcast, he opened up about the same:
'That moment was probably the weakest point I've ever felt in my life.
The moments I was by myself, I was struggling.'
Dwyane Wade tears up while reflecting on kidney cancer diagnosis
Dwyane Wade emerged victorious from the medical challenge after getting his tumor removed in December 2023.
On his podcast, Wade used his experiences to influence people and helped them find positivity even in situations when everything went against them.
Dwyane Wade donned writer's hat in 2012 to talk about parenting
Dwyane Wade, while struggling through his cancer, kept his mind at work. He talked about struggles as a single father. Later, Wade and his wife, Gabrielle Union, opted for surrogacy.
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They found it useful to talk about the challenges people face and chose books as a way to normalize issues parents refrain from talking about.
Wade wrote the book 'A Father First' to talk about the challenges he faced while raising his sons as a single father. The book was published in 2012 and became a bestseller.
Wade and his wife co-authored another book, which was a children's picture book. The book was titled Shady Baby.
Through this book, they shared how to convert shade into power, and normalized methods like surrogacy and discussions around the same.
Dwyane Wade had to tackle another challenging situation when their daughter, Zaya, came out as transgender. Talking about that phase and how they protected their child from hate around, he shared:
'I'm such a proud father, and I try to post my kids.
So, as my child got older and got confident and comfortable with us talking more about her and talking more about her situation, that's when we did.'
His push to accepting the identity and instilling confidence led to launch of a digital platform, Translatable, which went on to become a valuable resource for LGBTQ+ community.
Dwyane Wade invested in NBA, WNBA, and NHL franchises
Dwyane Wade used his financial footing and love for sports to stay closer to the games. He acquired stakes in NBA, WNBA, and NHL teams to pump in money and resources for the betterment of these sports.
Apart from investing in franchises, he has agreed to be a studio analyst for Prime Video's coverage of the 2025-26 season.
Wade made it a point not to let his ailment get the better of him. He channelized his energy into meaningful causes and built an empire out of his ability to connect to people and express himself with no reservations.
Dwyane Wade's other notable ventures in food, wine, beauty, fashion, and luxury accessories industries
Whatever Dwyane does comes from the space of pushing his community to the forefront of things. He started a beauty products line aimed at providing cosmetic solutions to people of color.
His successful wine venture, Wade Cellars, partnered with the Jones sisters, who owned an Inglewood, Calif., establishment, to enable the expansion of the Black-owned wine community. One of the Jones sisters, Leslie, commented, as per an Athletic's report:
'Every time I get to speak about him in the wine space, I love to do it.
I think that he, better than anyone, has used his platform and used his celebrity (status) to push the Black wine community along.'
'He brought on all Black-owned wine brands to be the vendors.'
Another fixation of Dwyane Wade is fashion and accessories. He struck deals with Versace and rolled out an eyewear line. His association with luxury watch brand Hublot gave birth to a luxury watch line, King Power D-Wade, launched in 2011.
They collaborated again for the second edition and introduced the Classic Fusion Dwyane Wade.
Wade partnered with Chinese sportswear company Li-Ning and rolled out the clothing line Way of Wade. It further diversified into shoes, apparel, and accessories, too.
The most noteworthy contribution of Dwyane Wade is in the field of food and culinary sciences. He supported his manager's hairstylist, Richard Ingraham, who was a culinary expert too.
With Wade's support, Ingraham started Chef RLI, which went on to become a connecting platform for chefs and celebrities.
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Dwyane Wade's journey after the NBA is indeed no less than a masterclass on how to make your pain your power. He identified opportunities in all the challenges he faced and used his experiences and interests to positively touch the lives of people around him. In the process, he has built himself an estimated net worth of $170 million (as per Forbes), which continues to grow with his sheer dedication and relentless work.