The Votes Are In!
2024 Readers' Choice is back, bigger and better than ever!
View Winners → 
Movements Aug 18, 2022
Dwayne Wade in 2011. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
by
share with
Retired NBA star Dwyane Wade Thursday filed court papers asking that his 15-year-old transgender daughter be allowed to change her name from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade.
Wade’s still unofficial Los Angeles Superior Court petition states that he has full authority to make decisions on his daughter’s behalf and that he notified his former wife, Siohvaughn Funches — the girl’s mother — of the legal action as a courtesy. The court papers state the teen lives in Hidden Hills.
In an appearance on “The Ellen Show,” in 2020, Wade confirmed that his daughter had begun using she/her pronouns.
“Our (then)-12-year-old … came home and said, ‘Hey, I want to talk to you guys,”‘ then asked to be called, Zaya, Wade said.
“We’re just trying to figure out as much information as we can to make sure that we give our child the best opportunity to be her best self,” Wade said at the time.
The 40-year-old Wade spent the majority of his 16-year career playing for the Miami Heat and won three NBA championships. He was a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, a 13-time NBA All-Star, an eight-time member of the All-NBA Team and a three-time member of the All-Defensive Team. He is a minority owner of the Utah Jazz, having bought a stake in the team in April 2021.
Wade and actress Gabrielle Union married in August 2014.
