Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade is used to making news on the court, but it’s off the court where his presence is currently involved in the case of a suspended South Florida high school basketball player. Wade’s connection is personal because he knows the youth, who plays on the same basketball team as his son, Zaire.
The situation involves Cyrus Nance, who plays at American Heritage High School in Plantation with the younger Wade. David Furones of the Sun Sentinel explained the circumstances that led to the suspension:
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“American Heritage basketball player Cyrus Nance, who is friends with Wade’s oldest son, Zaire Wade, was expelled for cursing at the school’s girls basketball coach, Greg Farias, during an argument where Nance and friends were playing basketball in the school gym while Farias was holding his team’s practice, according to a release from [Ben] Crump. Nance’s attorneys said Farias cursed at Nance first before Nance cursed back.”
Dwyane Wade discussed why this case, which has noted civil rights attorney Crump providing legal assistance for Nance, struck a chord with both him and his wife, Gabrielle Union:
“It’s not that we wanted to get involved. It was a situation that happened with our kids and one of our kid’s best friends,” Dwyane Wade said. “We want to get behind the truth of it. This is a kid that spends the weekends over at our house – someone [who] we know his family.
“It was puzzling that the school decided to expel him so fast. So we just set out for the truth, more than anything, and we haven’t gotten proof of what they said happened to the kid.”
Dwyane also indicated that Zaire’s treatment has also been a source of concern for the couple:
“We also had our own thing going with our kids and some things that was verbally said to them that we didn’t like.”
Presently in his 16th and final NBA season, Dwyane Wade has closely watched the recruitment of his son over the past few years. The junior already has a scholarship offer from the University of Nebraska, the alma mater of Union.
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