Gabrielle Union and Zaya Wade Celebrate Dwyane Wade on Father's Day: 'Greatest Supporter'

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Gabrielle Union and Zaya Wade each shared heartfelt words for Dwyane Wade on the special occasion

<p>zaya wade/instagram</p>

zaya wade/instagram

Gabrielle Union made sure Dwyane Wade was surrounded by love on Father's Day.

The former NBA star dad, 41, was celebrated by his wife and his children —  Kaavia James, 4, Xavier Zechariah, 9,  Zaya, 16, and Zaire, 21.

"Growing up with an involved, present father and marrying a man like you (@dwyanewade) who embodies the same characteristics is nothing short of a blessing," Union shared in an Instagram post full of family throughout the year.

"You lead with love and respect, which I could never take for granted. I am beyond grateful to be surrounded by fathers I have the opportunity to love and cherish today and each day to follow," she continued.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Related: Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union Celebrate Daughter Zaya&#39;s 16th Birthday: &#39;So Thankful&#39;

Zaya shared her own tribute to her dad on her Instagram Story, writing, "Happy Father's Day, Dad! Thank you so much for being my biggest supporter. I love you."

Earlier this year, Wade gave an emotional speech at the NAACP Image Awards ss the couple accepted the President's Award. They used the opportunity to speak about championing the fight for LGBTQ rights, giving the speech just one day after Zaya's legal name change and gender assignment.

"Zaya, as your father, all I've wanted to do is get it right. I've sat back and watched how gracefully you've taken on the public scrutiny," Wade said. "And even though it's not easy, I watched you walk out of that house every morning as yourself. I admire how you've handled ignorance in our world. I admire it that you face every day. To say that your village is proud of you is an understatement."

He continued: "As your father, my job isn't to create a version of myself or direct your future. My role is to be a facilitator to your hopes, your wishes, your dreams.


"Zaya, you've made me a better human by just simply being who you were born to be, our baby girl Zaya Wade. So baby, thank you for showing the world what courage looks like. I'm proud that I was chosen to stand in place as your father. And thank you so much to the NAACP for this incredible honor," added Wade.

Union praised the NAACP for persevering "over a century of relentless challenge, pain, triumph and change," as well as standing "with us again at the foot of a very new era of activism, a new era that demands our collective answer to one simple question. 'Will we fight for some, or will we fight for all of our people?'"

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.