Dwyane Wade reveals who he chose for support before surgery over wife Gabrielle Union

Dwyane Wade opened up about the tender moments before his kidney tumor surgery and the loved ones he wanted by his side in the pre-op room.

In a recent chat with Hoda Kotb on her Making Space podcast, the basketball star said the person he wanted next to him before his cancer surgery was his father, Dwyane Wade Sr., who also went through a journey of prostate cancer.

"I chose my dad," Wade told Kotb.

"He's the guy, for me. He’s always been. It's crazy because I’m a mama’s boy, all those things, but my dad has been there," he said of his father.

“I just thought about actually who I wanted to see in my most vulnerable state,” Wade continued. “And it was my dad.

However, Wade emphasized that the person he wanted to see first after his surgery was his wife of 11 years, actress Gabrielle Union,

"I wanted my wife to see me when I woke up, I wanted her to be the first person I saw," the NBA Hall of Famer noted.

"But in my most vulnerable state, when I was probably as scared as I’ve ever been, I wanted my dad to be there. I was like, 'I need my dad,'" the basketball player explained.

Earlier this year, Jr. Wade revealed that during his December 2023 surgery to remove the cancerous tumor, 40% of his right kidney was removed.

He revealed that it was his dad who inspired him to take care of his health more.

"My dad shared with me when he was going through prostate cancer, and I think we got closer through that process because I [was] obviously concerned about him, but we started communicating more because this was something that was a part of our genetic genes as men in our family," Wade told Kotb.