Three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade, 38, opened up about life off the court in a new trailer for his upcoming ESPN documentary D. Wade: Life Unexpected, which drops Feb. 23. The film is set to chronicle the 13-time All Star guard’s legendary basketball career, as well as his life at home with wife Gabrielle Union, 47, as he enters his final season in the league. Dwyane posted a goosebump-inducing trailer to his Instagram page on Feb. 5, with the caption “10 years in the making… D. Wade: Life Unexpected premieres Sunday, February 23, at 9 p.m ET on @espn.” In the clip, Dwyane says in a voiceover, “A lot of you guys see me as a superhero, but ya’ll don’t see the grind, y’all don’t see the tears.” The sound clip is accompanied by a shot of the NBA legend lying on a couch crying, as his wife Gabrielle comforts him. It’s clear the film won’t be shying away from the tough topics, as it’s set to cover everything from the drug raids on Dwyane’s house as a young child, becoming a father as a college sophomore; to the long and painful custody battle over his children, and embracing his son Zion’s, 12, gender identity.
The new doc was directed by Dwyane’s long-time cinematographer, Bob Metelus, who has filmed the basketball champ’s life behind-the-scenes for years. It will also include interviews with pivotal figures from Dwyane’s life and career including Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem, Pat Riley, and his wife Gabrielle. One of the most harrowing moments in the trailer comes as Dwyane recalls having a gun pulled on him by police, “Police just put a gun in the back of my head. It was traumatizing,” he says in the clip. The film includes hundreds of hours of never-before-seen home movies, video diaries, and footage shot over the past decade. “This is my life — lets go,” Dwyane says at the conclusion of the dramatic clip. Fans were quick to comment on how excited they were for the new doc to drop, including famous friend Chance The Rapper, 26, who wrote, “YOOOOO WE NEEDED THIS,” with two praying hand emojis.
“I’m excited to share a side of myself with the world that not many people may know,” Dwyane said in a statement. “This deeply personal documentary will give fans a never-before-seen look, not only at the behind-the-scenes of my sixteen year career in the NBA, but will peel back the curtain on my personal life – the highs, the lows and everything in between – showing how I created my own path to get to where I am today.”
After enduring countless obstacles, it seems Dwyane has never been happier than he is right now with wife Gabrielle and their one-year-old daughter Kaavia James Union Wade. The proud parents love posting pics with their adorable bub, with Dwyane posting a series of sweet snaps to Instagram showing the baby mugging for the camera while sitting on his lap. “There is this girl who stole my heart and she calls me daaDa @kaaviajames,” a gleeful Dwyane captioned his set of photos, which showed his little girl wearing a tiny hoodie. Hopefully we get to see more of baby Kaavia when the doc drops on Feb. 23!