Dwyane Wade Shares the Vulnerable Moment That Made Him Stronger

HALL OF FAME basketball star Dwayne Wade was a few years into retirement in 2023 when a call from his doctor stopped him in his tracks. He had recently undergone some medical testing—and when the doctor asked him to come into their office to discuss the results, Wade immediately knew something was wrong.

“That’s not good,” he recalled when he sat down with MH Editorial Director Rich Dorment to open up about his health journey. Their conversation was included as part of the inaugural Men’s Health Lab event on Thursday at Hearst Tower in New York City.

Wade remembers that while that call was jarring, he was somewhat prepared for the difficult conversation. His father, Dwayne Wade, Sr., had battled prostate cancer, so there was a family history of the condition, and he had noticed a possible symptom before the testing. But when the Miami Heat legend spoke to his doctors, the test results didn’t show an issue with his prostate, as he has expected. Instead, Wade’s medical team had located a problem spot on his kidney, which would need to be surgically removed.

“You don’t want to hear surgery, you don’t want to hear cancer, you don’t want to hear kidneys,” he said. “I heard all three of those in the same conversation—so now I’m scared.”

The next steps were difficult for Wade. He initially struggled to share the news—but told his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, then his mother and father. Wade recalled this was particularly difficult after a lifetime spent as a strong, resilient pillar for his family thanks to his personal and professional success on the world’s biggest stages. “People don’t see the weak moments,” he said. “It was one of the first times that my family got a chance to see that the armor was affected a bit.”

Wade had surgery to remove around 40 percent of his kidney to treat the cancer in late 2023. His family knew—but sharing about his condition and the treatment publicly was a different story. By 2025, he decided he would let the world know what he had gone through. He would step outside his comfort zone to serve a higher purpose.

“Why am in the public eye? Am I in it just to get endorsement deals? Or am I in it to make some real impact?” Wade said. “I knew if I came out and I shared this journey with people, it could help someone.” Ultimately, this mindset helped him to feel more empowered when he came forward. “I found strength in my vulnerability.”

Wade also realized how important it was for him as a man of color to share his experience. Wade said he hopes his display of vulnerability can help to dispel the stigma he feels his culture has for “weakness.” “That’s the one thing we cannot show,” he said. “That’s what we wake up every day trying not to do, going back to our history.”

Having gone through treatment and recovery before stepping out into the public eye, Wade’s perspective can help other men going through similar health challenges. He urged men to reach out to their “trusted circle” of friends and family, then allow them to help. For guys who might be hesitant to check up on that weird spot or slow stream, Wade had a simple message: find a medical provider to talk to, and don’t skip screenings.

Ultimately, he says, remember that you’re the boss—and you need to take that job of keeping yourself healthy seriously.

“Before you can let anyone else enter, you have to be the CEO of your own health.”

Hosted during National Men’s Health Week, the Men’s Health Lab was sponsored by the Bermuda Tourism Authority, Beyond Meat, and NYU Langone Health.