Just Revealed: NBA Legend Dwyane Wade Had 40% of Kidney Removed and the Public Never Knew

He kept it a secret for more than a year, but NBA Hall of Fame star Dwyane Wade recently revealed he underwent major surgery in 2023 after a frightening discovery.

Wade, 43, revealed on the Jan. 30 episode of his podcast, “The Why with Dwyane Wade” that he went to a doctor about apparently minor symptoms, but ended up being diagnosed with a tumor on his right kidney, Today.com reported.

Wade explained that, after skipping checkups for a few years, his father’s experience with prostate cancer prompted him to get a physical, according to People.

He said he’d had some minor concerns about stomach discomfort and slow urine flow.

He ended up getting a full-body scan that showed what appeared to be a cyst or tumor.

After confirming the diagnosis with multiple other doctors, part of his right kidney was removed on Dec. 18, 2023.

Tests later revealed it had been a cancerous tumor.

“Thank God that I did do the surgery,” he said, according to ESPN.

The situation was humbling for the three-time NBA champion.

DWade says he had nearly half of one of his kidneys removed in 2023 to get rid of a cancerous mass 🙏

(via The Why with Dwyane Wade, h/t @TMZ)pic.twitter.com/gXkzFNw27Z

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 30, 2025

“I think it was the first time my family, my dad, my kids, they saw me weak,” he said.

“That moment was probably the weakest point I’ve ever felt in my life. … I was struggling, dog. Struggling.” he added.

“And one thing you never want to do as a man is you never want your family to see you as weak. You don’t want to be perceived weak and you don’t want to be seen in your weak moments. But I had to.”

The silver lining in that dark cloud on his life was the love he received from his family, he told People.

“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.

Wade, a point guard and shooting guard, enjoyed a 16-year career in the NBA, primarily with the Miami Heat, according to ESPN.

He retired at the end of the 2018-19 season and still holds franchise records for points, assists, steals, games, and minutes played.

In addition to his three championships, he was Finals MVP in 2006.

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