Dwyane Wade Discusses the Pressure on Son Zaire to Follow in His Footsteps: 'It Can Break You' (original) (raw)

NBA legend Dwyane Wade and his son, Zaire, are starring in a new Discovery+ series that follows the children of famous athletes as they try to create legacies of their own.

Along with Dwyane and Zaire, the six-part documentary series, Legacy: In the Shadow of Greatness, also follows the children of former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield and former NFL player Randall Cunningham.

In an exclusive clip from the series, Zaire, 20, opens up about his experience playing basketball at Sierra Canyon School, the prominent Los Angeles-area school known for its success on the court.

"All the attention, social media, everybody, they really just be hating," Zaire says in the clip. "They pray on my downfall."

Zaire, who now plays for the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA's G-League, struggled to find playing time at Sierra Canyon, where Bronny James, the son of four-time NBA champion LeBron James, was his teammate.

"It's just challenging, it's mentally challenging," Dwyane says of the pressure on his son, "because it can break you, not getting the playing time you want."

"It can break you on the court, not getting a shot for five, six, seven, eight minutes," he adds. "Injuries can break you."

But Dwyane, who won three NBA championships during his storied career while battling his share of injuries, hopes to see his son prevail amid the adversity.

"For me, I want to see what he's made of," Dwyane says.

Courtesy Discovery+

Zaire was drafted with the No. 10 pick in the G-League's draft last year.

"I think I just want people to know — first of all, I'm extremely blessed to have this opportunity from the Stars to even want to take interest in me," Dwyane told the Salt Lake Tribune in October. "I know I'm a young guy to develop."

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"But I think a lot of people think that I'm not a hard-working kid and things get handed to me," he added. "If you don't know me, you can't say that. Nothing's handed to me. Coach said he noticed after the first day I stepped here, I'm just working hard trying to earn everything myself. I'm trying to make a name for myself."

Legacy: In the Shadow of Greatness premieres on Discovery+ Tuesday.