Heat Star Dwyane Wade Writing Book On Fatherhood
MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Eight-time NBA All-Star Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat is becoming an author.
William Morrow announced Wednesday it plans to publish "A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger than Basketball," in September.
In the book, Wade will share insights on his life both on-and-off the court, with a large focus on fatherhood. He'll detail his personal experiences as a parent, and trace his transformation from being the child of a single parent, to now serving as one himself.
Wade was awarded sole custody of his two sons in March 2011 after a long court battle with his ex-wife, who remains in the boys' lives.
Wade said writing the book was "therapeutic" and he hopes the book will show fans a side of him that they have yet to see.
"As a child, I grew up with aspirations to one day be a professional basketball player, and I am living that dream every day as a proud member of the Miami HEAT," said Wade. "However, the daily role I play in the lives of my two children is the single most significant undertaking of my life, and the job I take most seriously. While my basketball career has brought me many rewards – including an NBA Championship in 2006 and an Olympic Gold Medal in the 2008 Summer Games, my children are the two greatest gifts of my life."
Most recently, Dwyane teamed up with President Barack Obama to support his Fatherhood & Mentoring Initiative, a national parenting program geared toward encouraging fathers to become more involved in the lives of their children.
The book will also feature highlights from Wade's phenomenal basketball career -- from his early days shooting hoops in Chicago, to training at Marquette University, to emerging as an unheralded draft pick to receiving MVP honors in the 2006 NBA Finals. In a narrative that spans two generations of the Wade family, Wade's book encourages parents to lead by example and make being a caregiver the top priority.
"We are thrilled and honored to publish Dwyane's book," Henry Ferris, a vice president and executive editor at William Morrow, said in a statement. "He has an extremely important story and message about the role of fathers in children's lives. And his career in the NBA is also a phenomenal and exciting story."
