Dwyane Wade is not like some NBA fathers who accidentally knock up their partners. Instead of escaping responsibility, he always embraces it.
So much so that in December 2013, he admitted to his then-fiancée Gabrielle Union that he had a son during a "break" in their relationship and intended to raise him.
They had been dating since 2009 and had to grind their loving relationship to a halt to prioritize their careers. During that stretch, Wade conceived a child with "Basketball Wives" star Aja Metoyer. The boy was born on Nov. 10, 2013 and was named Xavier Zechariah Wade.
But the Miami Heat legend called him a blessing.
"I had a time, a part in our break, in our pain and our hurt, a blessing came out of it in my life, having a son that was born healthy," Dwyane said in a press conference. "So I'm moving on."
The Miami Heat legend announced the shocking news on Dec. 31, 2013, 10 days after he got engaged to Union on Dec. 21. Union did not address the issue immediately.
Her reaction would come to light later in 2021 in an essay she wrote for Time Magazine entitled "The Hard Truth About My Surrogacy Journey," where she expressed her devastation when she first heard the news.
" To say I was devastated is to pick a word on a low shelf for convenience," she wrote . "There are people — strangers I will never meet — who have been upset that I have not previously talked about that trauma. I have not had words and even after untold amounts of therapy, I am not sure I have them now."
Union suffered from adenomyosis, which is a chronic gynecological condition that affects the uterus. As a result, she had a hard time conceiving and said she had suffered eight or nine miscarriages when she and Wade tried. She had to settle with being a step-mother to D-Wade's children, Zaire, Zaya and Xavier.
This is why, looking back, Union reacted that way – not only full of pain but of disappointment in herself and her biological limitations.
"The experience of Dwyane having a baby so easily — while I was unable to — left my soul not just broken into pieces, but shattered into fine dust scattering in the wind," she said.
Besides Xavier, the Flash fathers Zaira, Zaya, Xavier, his nephew, Dahveon Morris and Kaavia James Union Wade. He had his first two biological children with his ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches, while he won full custody of his Morris in 2011. Finally, Kaavia is Wade and Union's daughter, who was welcomed via surrogacy.
As a former NBA superstar with over $190 million in career earnings, Wade strived to give all his children the best life and deliver on his father's role by not only providing for them but also spending time with them as much as he could.
Wade admitted that doing the latter with Xavier was difficult, as his youngest son is living with his mother. However, no obstacle is too daunting for Wade to give up on fatherhood.
Like with all his children, Wade did his best with Xavier.
"It's up to me to make sure he knows he's being raised with love even if we don't live under the same roof," he said . "And it's up to me to let him know that while distance may physically separate us at times, I'm always going to be the man he can depend on to love him and help lead him."
Xavier is now 12 years old and Wade continues to raise him. Despite the circumstances of his birth, Wade has always considered him a blessing, just as he does with his four other children.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
