Dwyane Wade, the Miami Heat's all-time leading scorer, no longer lives in Florida and it partially because of the state's political climate.
The future Hall of Famer, who has a 15-year-old trans daughter, made the revelation during an interview with Rachel Nichols on this week's episode of Showtime's "Headliners," a clip of which was released to People on Wednesday.
Asked about Florida politicians who have cheered him while pushing for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, Wade said one of the reasons he left the state because of how his family felt living there.
The full exchange:
Nichols: "What do you have to say to some of those state legislators who maybe have your jersey in their closets, who came and brought their kids to your games to cheer for you?"
Wade: "That's another reason why I don't live in that state. A lot of people don't know that. I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions.
"I mean, obviously, the tax [situation] is great. Having Wade County is great. But my family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there. And so that's one of the reasons why I don't live there."
Wade, who was drafted by the Heat in 2004, sold his Miami Beach mansion in 2021 after moving to the Hidden Hills community of Los Angeles County. He retired in 2019 and has since become a minority owner of the Utah Jazz.
Wade's daughter came out as trans in 2020 and has spoken publicly about the backlash she has received. Her father and stepmother Gabrielle Union have openly supported her, though her mother tried to legally block her formal transition.
In recent years, Florida has become a national leader in restricting the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Last month, a law went into effect that bans gender-affirming care for most trans minors in the state, with the exception of minors already receiving the care, and threatens to remove the medical license of doctors who provide such care. The state has also passed and expanded its "Don't Say Gay" law, which, among other things, forbids schools from requiring teachers or students from using a person's preferred pronouns if they differ from that person's sex at birth.
Even more restrictive laws could be on the way, as the Florida House passed three such bills last week, including one that criminalizes using a bathroom that doesn't match the gender of one's birth certificate.
