Dwyane Wade can now say that his NBA legacy has been cemented, bronzed, and etched into stone. The Miami Heat set social media ablaze when the retired basketball player was honored with the unveiling of his very own statue outside of the Kaseya Center.
The sculpture of his “this is my house” moment from the team’s win over the Chicago Bulls in 2009 caused a stir, but even more moments from the grand celebration he shared with friends and family have sparked a new conversation.
His wife, Gabrielle Union, gave Instagram followers a peek into the James Bond-themed party titled Statues are Forever held the night before the unveiling on Oct. 26.
Among the guests were Uncle Luke, DJ Khaled, rapper Trina, Tia Mowry, and of course, the Wade children—his kids Zaire and Zaya from a previous marriage to Siovaughn Funches, his nephew Dahveon, and his and Union’s daughter Kaavia James.
For the occasion, the three-time NBA champion was decked out in 007’s finest, a tuxedo with black pants and a white coat. Union wore a fitted black sequined halter-top gown with sheer stripes. Their children, respectively, dressed to the nines in evening dresses and suit attire.
Adoring fans wrote comments like “Kaav will always be the main character and y’all are her supporting cast!!” As well as ones that read, “They look so good together! Love them & their lil’ family.”
But a shift occurred when some users zoomed in on the photos and noticed that someone was missing — Xavier Wade. The 10-year-old boy is the child of Dwyane and former “Basketball Wives” cast member Aja Métoyer.
The youngest Wade son, often referred to as a “break baby” by social media users, was born in 2013 during a brief breakup between the “Perfect Find” actress. The couple reconciled that same year and became engaged in December. They tied the knot in August 2014. Dwyane has gone on record in the past and revealed that telling Union about his son was the hardest thing he ever had to do.
In the past, Union has candidly shared that the more mature and healed version of her would have never stayed with him after learning he fathered another child. The UCLA graduate has steered clear of speaking about their family dynamic as it pertains to Xavier.
For some, her silence has led them to blame her for his perceived snub from the celebratory gathering. “Where’s the young son? Gabrielle, include the youngest son in these family events,” a follower wrote.
Another comment blaming Xavier’s absence on his mother stated, “She shouldn’t prevent her son from being with his father period just because she doesn’t like Gabrielle or not wanting her to be around him and Dwayne Wade should be man enough to let her know that or see her in court just like he was back and forth in court with his ex wife about his two oldest sons.”
Another fan defending Union argued, “she has no control over that he has a mother and it’s possible his mother doesn’t want him in the spotlight like that maybe consider that.”
Métoyer has only shared a handful of moments of his life on social media. The last glimpse at him was in a carousel of photos in May, where she and ex Damon Wayans Jr. and other family were gathered to celebrate their daughter Amara’s college graduation.
Last year, amid Union-Wade breakup rumors, several people speculated that basketball icon stepped out to attend a NBA game with Xavier to spite his wife. He never gave credence to any of the hearsay.
