Dwyane Wade attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 02, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.Photo:Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Vanity Fair
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Vanity Fair
Dwyane Wade revealed the moment he found out he had cancer duringToday with Jenna & FriendsWade said it was hard for him to be vulnerable as someone with an “image” of being “the strong one"The Miami Heat great said he feels “lucky” to be cancer-free nowDwyane Wadeis opening up about hiscancer journey.Wade, 43, shared the moment he became “scared” whileconsulting different doctorsabout his symptoms duringToday with Jenna & Friendson Tuesday, March 11.The retired NBA star said he learned “a few years back” that both his father and grandfather had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. “I just started to be like, okay, well this is probably a part of my genetics and my history, let me go get checked out. When I turned 40, I went into the doctor and I was like, ‘Listen, I want to know everything.’ And in the midst of that, I was like, ‘Here are a few things that I’ve been feeling.'“Among those symptoms were various cramps and pains in his stomach and his “urine would come out a little slow,” said Wade. “I got a call from my doctor and in the midst of that call, you could just hear her uncertainty,” he recalled. “They thought they saw something on my kidney. They were like, ‘Well, we don’t know if it’s cancerous, but there’s something on there.' “Wade shared that that call from a doctor was “the first time that I was able to look ahead and think, ‘Theres a possibility that I might have cancer.'“Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union Wade attend The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.Mike Coppola/MG24/Getty ImagesA third doctor was “very honest” with Wade. “He was like, ‘Listen, we’ll not know unless we’re able to go in and have surgery and then we’re able to test it. We want to get it off, because we don’t want this to spread.’ So now, yeah, now I’m scared and that’s when I knew it was really serious.“Wade said he started “thinking about everything” after that moment. “You know, you start thinking about not coming out of it. I found out you can only have two people in the waiting room — one to walk you in, and one once you wake up.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The former Miami Heat star decided to call his father, he said before reflecting on how his “image” has always been “the strong one.“Dwyane Wade, Zaya Wade, and Gabrielle Union arrive at Gucci Love Parade.Rich Fury/Getty Images"No one has ever really experienced me being weak,” Wade explained. “I’ve always been the strong one, the most confident one, the world champion that has lifted the trophies over his head. That’s the image, but this was a moment where I knew I was going to be uncertain and a little weak.“The athlete’s father was “very nervous” in the room before his surgery. “We were just cracking jokes and trying to keep it light,” said Wade.“Once I came out of surgery, it was a pain that I had never felt before,” he continued, admitting that as a “very prideful man” he was “most afraid of being that vulnerable” in front of his wife,Gabrielle Union. “It sounds crazy because those are supposed to be the ones you want to be there in those moments of weakness,” Wade continued of Union and their children, “but you don’t want them to see you in that space.“Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade attending the Vanity Fair Oscar Party held at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.Doug Peters/PA Images via GettyAfter resting “for days” post-surgery, Wade said his doctor informed him that “it was cancer” but luckily, “it was only Stage 1.““Thank god that we caught it early,” Wade said. “Now I’m back. I’m strong, I’m healthy. I feel great. I’m just a little more cautious.“Now, Wade is taking more time to “look around and really smell the moments in life,” and “appreciate it all just a little bit more,” he said. “I feel like one of the lucky ones. I’m cancer free.”
Dwyane Wadeis opening up about hiscancer journey.
Wade, 43, shared the moment he became “scared” whileconsulting different doctorsabout his symptoms duringToday with Jenna & Friendson Tuesday, March 11.
The retired NBA star said he learned “a few years back” that both his father and grandfather had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. “I just started to be like, okay, well this is probably a part of my genetics and my history, let me go get checked out. When I turned 40, I went into the doctor and I was like, ‘Listen, I want to know everything.’ And in the midst of that, I was like, ‘Here are a few things that I’ve been feeling.'”
Among those symptoms were various cramps and pains in his stomach and his “urine would come out a little slow,” said Wade. “I got a call from my doctor and in the midst of that call, you could just hear her uncertainty,” he recalled. “They thought they saw something on my kidney. They were like, ‘Well, we don’t know if it’s cancerous, but there’s something on there.’ "
Wade shared that that call from a doctor was “the first time that I was able to look ahead and think, ‘Theres a possibility that I might have cancer.'”
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union Wade attend The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.Mike Coppola/MG24/Getty Images
Mike Coppola/MG24/Getty Images
A third doctor was “very honest” with Wade. “He was like, ‘Listen, we’ll not know unless we’re able to go in and have surgery and then we’re able to test it. We want to get it off, because we don’t want this to spread.’ So now, yeah, now I’m scared and that’s when I knew it was really serious.”
Wade said he started “thinking about everything” after that moment. “You know, you start thinking about not coming out of it. I found out you can only have two people in the waiting room — one to walk you in, and one once you wake up.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The former Miami Heat star decided to call his father, he said before reflecting on how his “image” has always been “the strong one.”
Dwyane Wade, Zaya Wade, and Gabrielle Union arrive at Gucci Love Parade.Rich Fury/Getty Images
“No one has ever really experienced me being weak,” Wade explained. “I’ve always been the strong one, the most confident one, the world champion that has lifted the trophies over his head. That’s the image, but this was a moment where I knew I was going to be uncertain and a little weak.”
The athlete’s father was “very nervous” in the room before his surgery. “We were just cracking jokes and trying to keep it light,” said Wade.
“Once I came out of surgery, it was a pain that I had never felt before,” he continued, admitting that as a “very prideful man” he was “most afraid of being that vulnerable” in front of his wife,Gabrielle Union. “It sounds crazy because those are supposed to be the ones you want to be there in those moments of weakness,” Wade continued of Union and their children, “but you don’t want them to see you in that space.”
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade attending the Vanity Fair Oscar Party held at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.Doug Peters/PA Images via Getty
Doug Peters/PA Images via Getty
After resting “for days” post-surgery, Wade said his doctor informed him that “it was cancer” but luckily, “it was only Stage 1.”
“Thank god that we caught it early,” Wade said. “Now I’m back. I’m strong, I’m healthy. I feel great. I’m just a little more cautious.”
Now, Wade is taking more time to “look around and really smell the moments in life,” and “appreciate it all just a little bit more,” he said. “I feel like one of the lucky ones. I’m cancer free.”
source: people.com