Dwyane Wade Making Child Custody a Priority

Former Marquette All-American and current Miami Heat standout Dwyane Wade is gearing up for another run at the NBA championship. However, he is also fighting an even more important battle for his rights as a father. Wade and his former high school sweetheart have been involved in a lengthy divorce and child custody battle over their two sons, 8 and 3 years of age, that began in 2007.

Wade’s career, wealth and fame are proving to be a bit of a double-edged sword in his child custody fight. He is facing a great deal of pressure from the sports media and from his team to focus on basketball in Miami instead of focusing on a child custody fight in Chicago. Additionally, courts often wonder what sort of life a single father with a demanding career can provide for two young boys. However, his career gives him an advantage that many fathers do not have. With excellent financial resources, there can be no doubt about his ability to provide for his boys.

In October, when the rest of the NBA was in fulltime practice mode, Wade appeared in a Chicago court to answer many questions and state his case for custody of his children. He does not believe they will be safe with their mother, and he would like to be in control of exchanges of the children because his ex-wife has allegedly failed to bring his children to visitation in the past. “This is not just about the next 5 or 10 years of my career. This is about the next 40 or 50 years of my life,” Wade said.

Wade’s devotion to his children is commendable, and we hope the high-pressure sports media understands that his priorities are indeed correct. Children are an incredibly important aspect of a parent’s life and are absolutely worth the time and effort Dwyane Wade is making.

Source: ESPN.com: Wade making good choices off court; Michael Wallace, 10/20/2010