Retired NBA Champion Sends Message About Homosexuality, Raising Gay Son

Former three-time NBA Champion and retired basketball great Dwyane Wade openly spoke about homosexuality - a subject matter rather uncanny to be discussed around circles of his persona - as he described his journey as a father who himself raised a son who identifies self as gay.

Speaking with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson in the “All The Smoke” podcast this week, the Miami Heat legend delivered a no-holds-barred statement when he gave a rundown of how he turned from being an in denial parent to being one proud pops to Zion – his 12-year-old gay son.

"I had to look myself in the mirror when my son at the time was 3 years old and me and my wife started having conversations about us noticing that he wasn't on the boy vibe that Zaire (Wade's other son) was on," Wade said.

"And, I had to look myself in the mirror and say, 'What if your son come home and tell you he's gay? What are you going to do? How are you going to be? How are you going to act? It ain't about him. He knows who he is. It's about you. Who are you?'"

Dwyane Wade confessed that he used to part of the “ignorant” multitude that does not recognize the community where his son belongs. "I grew up with the same perspective as a lot of these people out here that's a little ignorant. I grew up with a similar perspective," Wade said.

He then deflected credit to some people, including his wife Gabrielle Union, as being the tools that shaped him in becoming the supportive father that he is today.

"And, you meet people along the way that help you take those glasses off and put on some different ones. Look through life through a different lens. That's what my wife has been able to do. So, it's been cool."

As stereotype and discrimination persist to be prevalent among the members of the community, Dwyane Wade recognized that the influence of his voice as a sports icon could be used to reach more people in spreading awareness and education about the timely issue.

"Everybody get used to it, man," Wade says. "This is the new normal. So if anybody different, we looked at as different. You know what I'm saying? The ones that don't understand it. The ones that don't get it. The ones that are stuck in a box. You're different. Not the people that are out here living their lives, man.”