Dwyane Wade Once Gifted His Mother an Entire Church
As one of the most celebrated NBA players in history, Dwyane Wade is a household name, but there’s more to him than his successful basketball career. Wade has a heart for giving, and his benevolence has not gone unnoticed.
For starters, Wade’s pro career spanned 16 years (2003 to 2019). The shooting guard spent most of these years with the Miami Heat. During this time, the three-time NBA Champion earned multiple accolades, most notably becoming the 2010 All-Star MVP and 2006 NBA Finals MVP.
Wade was honored as one of the league’s greatest players by being included in the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, as Britannica reports. In 2021, he bought a minority stake in the Utah Jazz, the NBA’s Salt Lake City team. With all of this financial success, Wade found time to honor his mom in a special way.
Dwyane Wade’s difficult childhood involved his mom’s drug addiction
Wade had a rough upbringing, defining his childhood as “trying,” according to the Chicago Defender. His mother Jolinda Wade’s drug addiction problems caused him to depend on his elder sister, Tragil Wade, for guidance. In fact, he attributes his success to his sister, who was with him during his most vulnerable moments.
Before her recovery, Jolinda had numerous run-ins with the law, spending time in prison off and on. She even became a fugitive after skipping a work-release program, which she later completed as her way of paying her debt to society.
After years of trying to get her life on track, Jolinda made a resolve to shun her life of drugs. Through the support of the family, she completed a drug rehab program and got clean. In 2004, she began a formal ministry training together with a friend, LaDell Jones. Consequently, she earned the title of pastor and henceforth became Pastor Jolinda Wade, as the Chicago Defender reports.
Three years later, Jolinda and Jones rented a small room where they delivered sermons to the 47 church members who joined. Eventually, the rented space was too small. So they started looking for a bigger space to accommodate the growing congregation.
Dwyane Wade gifted his mom with a church after she got clean and became a pastor
Despite the hardships he experienced with his mother, Dwyane’s love for her never waned. As a way to show his affection and to support Jolinda’s dreams, he bought her a church. On Sunday, May 18, 2008, The Temple of Praise, Jolinda’s own church, officially opened.
Among the attendees of the opening ceremony were Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson’s mothers. Jolinda could not hide her joy as she acknowledged it was the happiest moment of her life. “Today is one of the highest of the highest moments in my life,” she said.
In the first pew sat Dwyane, who couldn’t help but get emotional to see his mom so overwhelmed. “I respect my mother so much, from the life that she used to live and to see her today in the life that she lives. I’m so proud of her,” he told the Associated Press.
Dwyane doesn’t withhold his generosity concerning gift-giving
Dwyane has a reputation for buying gifts for his family and friends. In 2020, the now-40-year-old bought Pastor Jolinda a car worth $60,000 for her 66th birthday. He also blessed her with a house and other numerous gifts since he started earning big as an NBA player.
In the same energy, Dwyane loves to shower his family with gifts, and they love reciprocating. For his 39th birthday, his wife Gabrielle Union bought him a white Mercedes Benz 560SL worth a fortune. The Bring It On star also gifted him a 1974 Ford Bronco for Father’s Day in 2020, an automobile he claims he has always wanted to own since moving to LA, according to Motor1.
