Dwayne Wade is a professional NBA player for the Miami Heat and his lasting impression on the court is just as important to his lasting impression on his children. Dwayne and his wife Gabrielle Union raise his four kids 16-year-old Zaire, 11-year-old Zion, 4-year-old Xavier (all from his previous relationship) as well as his 16-year-old nephew Dahveon.
Dwayne recently opened up to PEOPLE about his reason to not drink in front of his kids because of his experience with alcohol growing up. “I guess I just stayed away from [drinking] for personal reasons,” he told the publication. “Just growing up and seeing the way that alcohol affected the ones that I love, I kind of stayed away from it until I felt I was old enough—mature enough—to where I really understood that I really can enjoy alcohol and not turn out to be that way that I’ve seen.”
Dwayne grew up with his mother (who battled an alcohol and heroin addiction) in Chicago until he was nine years old. One day his older sister dropped him off at his father's doorstep in Miami and he credits that move aa the reason he's a successful NBA player since his father introduced him to the game.
“I never had drinks at home or anything like that because to your kids you’re superman—you’re a hero,” he added. “You’re perfect to your kids, so you kind of want to keep that whole superman thing going.”
Dwayne had his first drink at the age of 28 and comfortably started enjoying booze at age 30.