Dwyane Wade never expected a routine checkup to turn into a fight for his health. But that’s exactly what happened when doctors discovered a tumor on his kidney—one that turned out to be cancerous.

The 43-year-old NBA icon revealed on the Jan. 30 episode of his podcast, “The Why With Dwyane Wade,” that he hadn’t been keeping up with regular medical exams since retiring in 2019. 

It wasn’t until his father underwent surgery that he finally decided to get a full-body scan—just to be safe. “I didn’t go in for my kidneys,” Wade shared. “But because I did the full-body scan, they saw something.” 

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That “something” was a tumor on his right kidney. Because it couldn’t be biopsied, doctors recommended surgery to remove it, a procedure the former athlete underwent on Dec. 18, 2023. 

“Thank God that I did do the surgery, right?” he said. “Because the tumor was cancerous.” The shocking diagnosis forced Wade to grapple with his own mortality. “I think it was the first time my family, my dad, my kids, they saw me weak,” he admitted. “That moment was probably the weakest I’ve ever felt in my life.”

Though kidney tumors can often be treated with surgery or other therapies, early detection is crucial, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

For Wade, a father of five, the experience was a wake-up call about the importance of prioritizing his health.