Dwyane Wade Shares ‘Shocking’ Cancer News

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Dwyane Wade.

Retired NBA star Dwyane Wade has shared some serious cancer news about himself, saying that he received a “shocking” diagnosis.

Wade, who played for 13 seasons with the Miami Heat, revealed that he discovered he had a tumor on his kidney after putting off going in for a checkup. The comments came in a January 30, 2025, episode of his podcast, “The Why with Dwyane Wade.”

“What I saw in the midst of me going through my illness, I saw my family that may not always talk, may not always agree. I saw everybody show up for me and be there for me and in that process, in my weakness I found strength in my family,” Wade said.

“In this episode, Dwyane and Bob host their first-ever live audience at the Men’s Wellness Retreat, bringing together 30 men for a powerful conversation about health, wellness, and brotherhood. They reflect on the importance of mental, physical, and spiritual well-being, emphasizing the need for men to check in with each other and create safe spaces for vulnerability,” the caption reads. It adds that Wade opened up about a “health scare.”

Dwyane Wade Revealed That He Required Kidney Surgery, Calling It His ‘Weakest Point’

GettyDwyane Wade interacts with fans as they visit his statue.

Wade shared personal details, such as explaining that he was having issues with urination. It was determined that he had a “cyst” or “tumor” on one of his kidneys.

“And the doctor was like, “You need to have kidney surgery,” Wade said on the podcast. According to Wade, doctors removed 40% of one of his kidneys after determining that the tumor was cancerous.

“My own journey to have that surgery, I think it was the first time that my family, my dad, my kids, they saw me weak,” Wade said on the podcast. “That moment was probably the weakest point I’ve ever felt in my life.”

According to People Magazine, Wade has four kids with three different women, and is the legal guardian to his nephew.

A fan wrote on People’s comment thread, “Prayers up for (Dwyane) Wade and his loved ones. I’m glad he got the medical treatment he needed. I pray for healing, renewal and restoration.”

Dwyane Wade Wanted to Stop the Tumor From Spreading

GettyDwyane Wade

Wade shared that he struggled with the diagnosis.

“The moment I was by myself, I was struggling, dog,” Wade admitted in the podcast. He revealed that his father’s struggle with prostate cancer encouraged him to get checked out.

“I had a personal decision to make, and what it was was, ‘If this is cancerous, if this tumor, this cyst is cancerous, on your kidney, you’re 41 years old, you probably need surgery because it’s something that needs to be removed so it doesn’t spread,” he added. The surgery occurred in December 2023, he said on the show.

“As a man, you never want your family to see you weak,” he says. “Don’t want to be perceived weak, don’t want to be seen in your weakest moments but I had to,” Wade said.