Inside The Heat

Heat Legend Dwyane Wade Reveals Kidney Removal Following Cancer Diagnosis

Jake Elman

Jan 24, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Former NBA player Dwyane Wade attends the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Jan 24, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Former NBA player Dwyane Wade attends the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade revealed he had a portion of one kidney removed in 2023 after doctors found a cancerous mass.

Wade spoke about the “health scare” on his The Why podcast. The three-time NBA champion admitted he put off going to the doctor despite having stomach issues and cramps, among other issues, in late 2023.

Doctors subsequently found a cyst/tumor on his left kidney.

“‘I had a personal decision to make,” Wade recalled, “and what it was was, ‘If this is cancerous … you’re 41 years old, you probably need surgery because it’s something that needs to be removed so it doesn’t spread.’”

Wade said he had surgery Dec. 18, 2023. One of his kidneys is only “60 percent.”

Wade’s father previously battled prostate cancer.

“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.”

Added Wade: "As a man, you never want your family to see you weak. [You] don’t want to be perceived weak, don’t want to be seen in your weakest moments but I had to.”

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.

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Jake Elman
JAKE ELMAN

Jake Elman is a veteran sports journalist and graduate of Florida Atlantic University’s journalism program. In recent years, he has covered the NFL for EndGame360 and served as the sports content lead for ExpressVPN. He also covered the Lane Kiffin years at FAU for the Palm Beach Post.