A cancerous tumor required 40% of Dwyane Wade’s right kidney to be removed, the former Miami Heat star revealed.
Wade underwent surgery in December 2023 after a full-body scan showed a concerning growth that could not be tested without removal, Wade said during an October wellness retreat talk that was released on Thursday’s episode of his “The Why” podcast.
“Thank God that I did do the surgery, because the tumor was cancerous,” Wade said.
The 43-year-old Wade said he received the body scan after experiencing an unrelated issue in which his urine stream came out weakly. His father had previously battled prostate cancer.
Wade received multiple medical opinions regarding the growth on his kidney before deciding to have it taken out, knowing that if it was cancerous, it could eventually spread.
“They took 40% of my kidney to make sure that they could get all of the cancer off of it,” Wade said.
The diagnosis came as a surprise to Wade, who, as a former athlete, had regularly received positive results from his physicals.
He consulted with former Heat teammate Alonzo Mourning, who had a kidney transplant in 2003.
“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. “That moment was probably the weakest point I’ve ever felt in my life.”
Wade retired in 2019 after 16 NBA seasons, during which he averaged 22.0 points per game; earned 13 All-Star selections; and won three championships, all with the Heat.
The shooting guard, who also played for the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.
