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Iconic Miami Athlete Claims He and His Family Have Ditched Florida: 'My Family Would Not Be Accepted'

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Despite being a Chicago native, few professional athletes are more inextricably linked to the city of Miami and the state of Florida than retired Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade.

The 41-year-old helped win three championships for the Heat, beating the Dallas Mavericks in 2006, the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012, and the San Antonio Spurs in 2013. Wade was the Finals MVP in 2006, which was also the Heat’s first-ever NBA championship.

So, yes. Given that Wade has had a direct, significant role in the only three championships the Heat have ever won, he is easily the biggest Florida athlete since Dan Marino, Tim Tebow and Ray Lewis played a different kind of sport for the Sunshine State.

Only… you may not be able to describe him as a “Florida athlete” anymore.

In a special preview by People magazine, Wade revealed in an interview with NBA pundit Rachel Nichols that he no longer considers Florida a home for him and his family.

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“That’s another reason why I don’t live in that state,” Wade told Nichols on her “Headliners” podcast, speaking of certain politicians (like Gov. Ron DeSantis) who are battling against gender ideology, especially in regards to minors being exposed to it.

Wade has long been supportive of his son, who now identifies as a girl. The Miami Heat star has previously called his son Zion (now going by Zaya) the “leader” of their family and that the transition to Zaya from Zion was the “new normal.”

Wade’s son is 15 years old and first “came out” as transgender in 2020. Wade also has three other children, though none of them additionally identify as transgender.

“A lot of people don’t know that [I no longer live in Florida.] I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions,” the retired NBA star said.

Do you think Florida is a good place to live?

Curiously, Wade then rattled off some of the great things about living in Florida:

“I mean, obviously, the tax [situation] is great. Having Wade County is great,” he said. “But my family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there. And so that’s one of the reasons why I don’t live there.”

For the unaware, Wade has been such an iconic Miami Heat player that he has a street named after him (“Dwyane Wade Boulevard” sits just outside the Heat’s arena, formerly known as FTX Arena.) Even more so, there was a week in July 2010 when Miami-Dade County was actually renamed to Wade County.

As for the tax situation, one of the most common reasons pro athletes claim they sign with Florida teams is due to the state’s non-existent income tax.

Apparently, all of those perks and adulation aren’t enough for Wade, his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, and their children.

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Elsewhere in the sitdown with Nichols, Wade revealed that he adopted his parenting skills from his father.

“I tell my dad all the time, I’m just a mirror image of the way he loved us and the way that he accepted not only myself and my brothers but other kids in the community that didn’t have father figures,” Wade said. “And so I don’t know any difference.”

Wade, who has also suited up for his hometown Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers, then explained how his unabashed support of gender ideology hasn’t been the smoothest.

“I had to educate myself and yes, I had to get a better understanding. And yes, I had to lose some friends along the process, but I never wavered on loving my kids and trying to find space to get the chance to understand them,” Wade said.

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Bryan Chai has written news and sports for The Western Journal for more than five years and has produced more than 1,300 stories. He specializes in the NBA and NFL as well as politics.
Bryan Chai has written news and sports for The Western Journal for more than five years and has produced more than 1,300 stories. He specializes in the NBA and NFL as well as politics. He graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. He is an avid fan of sports, video games, politics and debate.
Birthplace
Hawaii
Education
Class of 2010 University of Arizona. BEAR DOWN.
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English, Korean
Topics of Expertise
Sports, Entertainment, Science/Tech




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