Dwyane Wade is sharing more about the moments before he underwent surgery for cancer — and who he brought into the pre-op room.
“I chose my dad,” Wade, 43, said on Hoda Kotb’s podcast Making Space about his father Dwyane Wade Sr. “He’s the guy, for me. He’s always been. It’s crazy because I’m a mama’s boy, all those things, but my dad has been there.”
Wade’s wife of nearly 11 years, actress Gabrielle Union, was also at the hospital, but the NBA Hall of Famer had a game plan for how to get through the difficult experience.
“I just thought about actually who I wanted to see in my most vulnerable state,” Wade said. “And it was my dad. I wanted my wife to see me when I woke up, I wanted her to be the first person I saw, but in my most vulnerable state, when I was probably as scared as I’ve ever been, I wanted my dad to be there. I was like, ‘I need my dad.’ “
Related: Dwyane Wade Reveals He Had 40% of His Kidney Removed After Doctors Found Cancerous Tumor (Exclusive)
The younger Wade revealed earlier this year on his own The WY Network podcast that he had 40% of his right kidney removed in December 2023 after doctors found a cancerous tumor.
Wade said he was motivated to take care of his health after his father’s journey with prostate cancer.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“My dad shared with me when he was going through prostate cancer, and I think we got closer through that process because I [was] obviously concerned about him, but we started communicating more because this was something that was a part of our genetic genes as men in our family,” Wade told Kotb.
He continued, “And so we started being able to share personal things. Like, I would call my dad after I left the hospital, like, ‘Yo, I just got a prostate exam, Pops, and the doctor did this,’ and he’ll laugh and say, ‘Oh yeah, that’s nothing. She just wanted to do this.’ We just got close when his prostate cancer [was being treated].”
The retired basketball star has not been shy to shine a light on his father’s impact.
Mike Lawrie/Getty
Dwyane Wade called his father Dwyane Wade Sr. to the podium during his Hall of Fame acceptance speech in August 2023.
During his emotional Hall of Fame acceptance speech in August 2023, just a few months before his cancer surgery, Wade thanked his dad, and brought him on stage. Through tears, the two told one another they loved each other, and then the younger Wade joyfully told his father, “We in the Hall of Fame, dawg!”
The three-time NBA champion told PEOPLE just a few weeks after his surgery that he has been proud to use his platform to honor his loved ones.
“I’ve shared my stories about my family and these are personal, private stories that we don’t have to share, that we have shared,” Wade told PEOPLE at the time.
Related: Dwyane Wade Reflects on How the Spelling of His Name Influenced His New Podcast Series: ‘It Gets You to Think’ (Exclusive)
“It’s not because we want sympathy, but it’s because we know that sometimes you go through things for others to be able to learn from as well,” he continues. “And so we’ve shared so many of our stories. Family is everything, and family looks different for everyone. And I’ve tried to bring my loved ones along.”
Read the original article on People
