Dwyane Wade, inspired by daughter, unveils new transgender youth support community - ESPN

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — NBA great Dwyane Wade was back in South Florida on Thursday to do battle again.

The Hall of Famer spent more than 14 seasons as a guard for the Miami Heat, winning three championships, having Miami-Dade County nicknamed «Wade County» and he still leads the franchise in everything from points and rebounds to personal fouls. But the fight he outlined Thursday at The Elevate Prize Foundation's Make Good Famous Summit, after receiving the nonprofit's Elevate Prize Catalyst Award, may be the most personal of all.

«We've done so many great things here so it wasn't easy to leave,» Wade told The Associated Press in an interview before the award ceremony. «But the community wasn't here for Zaya, so the community wasn't here for us.»

Wade's daughter, Zaya, who turns 17 next week, came out as transgender in 2020 in the midst of anti-trans legislation in Florida and other states that prompted many trans adults to flee the state. The Wade family sold their Florida home last year and moved to California.

In accepting the award, Wade shared it with Zaya and credited her with inspiring the creation of Translatable, a new online community designed to support transgender children and their families.

«The question was presented to her as, 'If you have one thing that you want to see change in this community, what would it be?',» Wade recalled. «And, for her, it goes right to parents. It goes right to the adults. It goes right to us. It's not the kids. It's us. And so she wanted to create a space that felt safe for parents and their kids. That's what Translatable is, and it's her baby.»

Wade hopes Translatable, which is funded by the Wade Family Foundation, will provide a community to «support growth, mental health, and