Dwyane Wade Is 'So Damn Proud' of Daughter Zaya, 16, as They Launch a New Safe Space for Trans Youth (Exclusive)

Dwyane Wade has collected numerous accolades during his Hall of Fame NBA career. Now he will have to make room for another award – this time for his advocacy work off the field.

Wade, 42, was presented with the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award on Thursday, May 23, in Miami, where he spent most of his Hall of Fame NBA career with the Miami Heat. The 13-time All-Star received the award for his work advocating for the transgender community. Wade, who has turned down several honors before this one, says this new recognition is separate from his basketball accomplishments.

“Sports is something you can expect to be rewarded with,” Wade tells PEOPLE. “But this here is not one of those things that I would expect to get an award for. I’m just a parent doing what a good parent should do.”

Wade’s daughter, Zaya, publicly came out as transgender in 2020, when she was 12 years old, and her father and family were her biggest supporters.

Dahveon Morris, Jolinda Wade, Zaya Wade, Dwyane Wade, Kaavia James Wade, Gabrielle Union and Zaire Wade in August 2023.

Mike Lawrie/Getty

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And although only Wade was officially presented with the actual award, he says it’s a shared award.

“This is a Wade family award,” says Wade. “This is just part of the Wade family, everything we do… We feel that in this space you have to be accepted to make the world a better place.”

Soon to turn 17 on May 29, Zaya, who is a model and influencer in addition to being a high school student, has spent the last two years working with her father on a new venture, Translatable, a digital platform that will provide LGBTQ+ youth a safe space to express themselves by submitting content, like poetry, photography or any general thoughts or suggestions. Wade and Zaya will also post their own content on the site.

The platform will also provide educational resources for families of children with questions about gender identity.

Elevate Prize Foundation Founder Joseph Deitch (right) and Executive Director Carolina García Jayaram (left) presented NBA Hall of Famer and entrepreneur Dwyane Wade with the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award at the Make Good Famous Summit in Miami Beach in recognition of his advocacy for the transgender community and for his work with the Wade Family Foundation.

Elevate Prize Foundation

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Zaya has worked with her father at Translatable since she was 14, shortly after her coming out thrust the teenager into the limelight. Given the attention she’s received, Wade is immensely proud of how Zaya has handled herself.

“She wasn’t looking for this extra thrill in life,” Wade says, “she just wanted to be a kid and do kid things and live her life and be selfish and take care of herself. That’s what you should do at her age, take care of yourself. But she thinks about the wider community, so I’m damn proud of her as a father.”

Meanwhile, the award was presented by the Elevate Prize Foundation at the annual Make Good Famous Summit, where several activists and entrepreneurs were also recognized for their work. As part of the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award, the foundation will contribute $250,000 in funding to Translatable, which Wade officially launched at the summit after receiving the award.

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“For us, Dwyane Wade really embodies this wonderful combination of a beacon within the NBA, someone who is looked up to by other players, teams, obviously fans, and has great social power,” Elevate Prize Foundation CEO Carolina García Jayaram tells PEOPLE. “He’s used it for so many years for good, and now he’s kind of entering this new real chapter of his philanthropy and his impact work. And we are very honored to be with him at that moment. It seems like such a natural fit as he got into this business with Translatable.”

Wade is the first athlete to be honored with the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award, which is given to celebrities who use their influence to inspire social action. Previous winners include Michael J. Fox, Malala Yousafzai and Matt Damon.

Wade was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2023, after playing 16 seasons in the league, 15 of which he spent in Miami. As a member of the Heat, Wade won three championships, was the 2006 NBA Finals MVP and was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.

Throughout his playing career, Wade has been outspoken on social justice issues, giving a speech in support of the Black Lives Matter movement at the 2016 ESPY Awards alongside fellow basketball stars LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul.

Since Zaya came out, Wade has become a staunch ally of the LGBTQ+ community and has tried to serve as a role model for other parents, along with his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, Zaya’s stepmother.

NBA Hall of Famer and entrepreneur Dwyane Wade (left) joined stand-up comedian, writer and actress Phoebe Robinson (right) at the Elevate Prize Foundation’s Make Good Famous Summit.

Elevate Prize Foundation

“You hope as a parent that your kids feel comfortable communicating with you when they’re confused and looking for answers,” says Wade. “Whatever they’re experiencing, they feel comfortable enough to express those things to you. You won’t want it to be someone else. At the end of the day, they are your children. But you have to create an environment for that.”

It is significant that Wade received the award in Miami, which became known as Wade County during his playing days. He made headlines last year when he announced he was leaving Florida, in part because of the state’s controversial anti-LGBTQ+ law, saying his family would not be accepted.

While Wade says he didn’t intend for his family’s move to make waves, he understands why it became such a big deal. He hopes that this award and work with the foundation will help to stimulate change in the country.

“I would like to feel that my whole family is accepted here, in a place that Wade County has,” Wade says. “You’re damn right, it’s important.

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Source: HIS Education