A Father First Audiobook Summary
Dwyane Wade, the eight-time All-Star for the Miami Heat, has miraculously defied the odds throughout his career and his life. In 2006, in just his third season in the NBA, Dwyane was named the Finals’ MVP, after leading the Miami Heat to the Championship title, basketball’s ultimate prize. Two years later, after possible career-ending injuries, he again rose from the ashes of doubt to help win a gold medal for the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. As co-captain, he helped lead the Heat to triumph in the 2012 NBA Championship. Little wonder that legendary coach Pat Riley has called Dwyane “B.I.W.”–Best In the World.
As incredible as those achievements have been, it’s off the court where Dwyane has sought his most cherished goal: being a good dad to his sons, Zaire and Zion, by playing a meaningful role in their lives. Recounting his fatherhood journey, Dwyane begins his story in March 2011 with the news that after a long, bitter custody battle, he has been awarded sole custody of his sons in a virtually unprecedented court decision. A Father First chronicles the lessons Dwyane has learned as a single dad from the moment of the judge’s ruling that instantly changed his life and the lives of his boys, and then back to the events in the past that shaped his dreams, prayers, and promises.
As the son of divorced parents determined to get along so that he and his sister Tragil could have loving relationships with both of them, Dwyane’s early years were spent on Chicago’s South Side. With poverty, violence, and drugs consuming the streets and their mom descending into addiction, Tragil made the heroic decision to take her younger brother to live with their father. After moving his household to suburban Robbins, Illinois, Dwyane Wade Sr. became Dwyane’s first basketball coach. While this period laid the groundwork for Dwyane’s later mission for fathers to take greater responsibility for their kids, he was also inspired by his mother’s miraculous victory over addiction and her gift for healing others. Both his mother and his father showed him that the unconditional love between parents and children is a powerful guiding force.
In A Father First, we meet the coaches, mentors, and teammates who played pivotal roles in Dwyane’s stunning basketball career–from his early days shooting hoops on the neighborhood courts in Chicago, to his rising stardom at Marquette University in Milwaukee, to his emergence as an unheralded draft pick by the Miami Heat. This book is a revealing, personal story of one of America’s top athletes, but it is also a call to action–from a man who had to fight to be in his children’s lives–that will show mothers and fathers how to step up and be parents themselves.
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A Father First Audiobook Narrator
Prentice Onayemi is the narrator of A Father First audiobook that was written by Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade is a three-time NBA champion, businessman, TV analyst, producer, activist, and philanthropist. He played in the NBA from 2003 to 2019, primarily for the Miami Heat. Wade is the New York Times bestselling author of A Father First and co-author of Shady Baby. He is the father of five children: Zaire, Zaya, Xavier, Kaavia James, and his nephew Dahveon.
About the Author(s) of A Father First
Dwyane Wade is the author of A Father First
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A Father First Full Details
Narrator | Prentice Onayemi |
Length | 11 hours 15 minutes |
Author | Dwyane Wade |
Category | |
Publisher | HarperAudio |
Release date | September 04, 2012 |
ISBN | 9780062204929 |
Subjects
The publisher of the A Father First is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Biography & Autobiography, Sports
Additional info
The publisher of the A Father First is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062204929.
Global Availability
This book is only available in the United States.
Goodreads Reviews
Deacon Tom
June 05, 2022
A Honest BookI really enjoyed this book by Dwyane Wade. He is honest about his struggles with the achievements and all the pain in his life.Additionally, there are terrific pictures about his life.Although I’m not a heat fan, I have a basketball fan and enjoyed this book
Tamara
June 08, 2018
Great read!
Ryan
March 08, 2013
I thought that the book was very exciting. It gives a lot of information about him and his opinions. It talks about his life when he was growing up to winning the NBA title against OKC. (Oklahoma City Thunder) The book talks about who impacted his life and how they did it. Talks about the people who kept him motivated. The problems he had and how he fixed them. I really liked the book. I would read it again and recommend it to anyone who likes sports. The setting takes place in Miami and where he has traveled. He talks about his relationship problems and how he handles these situations. He has two children. He talks about the things he would do differently. He also talks about his religious background and how it helped him get through tuff situations. He went to Marquette University. He was drafted in the first round by the Miami Heat. He gets married to his girlfriend in high school. He talks about life, and how important it is to have a great relationship with God! I really liked the book and would recommend it to anyone that is struggling with life or loves sports.
Jevius
February 07, 2014
This is one of the best books I have read in a while. It shows the hardships on Southside of Chicago as a young boy. The start from humbled beginnings, gave him the necessary tools to stay grounded when he became a NBA superstar. Then he shows that everything that glitter isn't gold with his marriage. The nasty divorce was blown up in the media, putting his two sons in the middle of it. Being awarded full custody was the best thing that happened him.(Stated Dwayne Wade) All in all just the shear perseverance of an individual is very intriguing.
Tara
September 25, 2012
I knew his wife was cray-cray but I didnt know she was like that! Excellent story of a man actually stepping up and being the man his children need all the while being a professional.
Ginger
October 06, 2012
Fabulous story of a truly remarkable athlete and father. You will really enjoy this story that happens so close to home.
Chad
January 28, 2020
** spoiler alert ** This is an interesting read and gives more insight into Dwayne Wade's life both on and off the court. Told from his perspective it has 3 or 4 main themes. The first sad theme was his growing up years in Chicago and how the gangs and drugs were so much a part of his community and how he had to deal with his Mom's divorce and drug usage. It tells of how he was able with his grandma and sister able to stay with his uncle and where he developed his toughness and skills for basketball. He struggled academically, but had a great coach at Marquette who stood by him and helped him as a person in college. The next phase went into the NBA and it's ups and downs. The theme intertwining was his own marriage and subsequent divorce, but his will to do what was right in being the best father he could for his son's. In spite of all of his celebrity status, money, and ability to mix with the likes of Shaq, LeBron James, and others, it shows he still had struggles like many of us do, including having the struggles of difficult family relationships. He truly has a big heart and worked hard to keep his family together with healthy relationships in spite of the difficult antics of his ex wife. I also found it great that his Mom broke her addiction to drugs and was even preaching. It shows that even though his Mom had big problems with drugs and not being around a lot, but that she was still a big part of Dwayne's life and his development.
Harsh
May 20, 2019
** spoiler alert ** Dwyane Wade’s “A Fathee First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball” published by Harper Collins offers an intriguing perspective into the life of Dwyane Wade. Unlike many books about basketball icons, this book by Dwyane Wade focuses on the personal life of Dwyane Wade, and how he balanced his role as a father and job as an NBA star. While this book does an excellent job of showing Dwayne Wade as a father and his struggles with getting custody, it can sound artificial at times. Dwayne writes about he his fight for his kids was the greatest accomplishment of his career. After reading this, I really learned a whole new part of Dwyane Wade’s life. Before this I had known him as a basketball star, but now, after learning what he’s been through, it’s really admirable to see where he came from. Wade shows a completely different side of his life, unseen by many. One of the key defining moments occurs near beginning, the moment where Dwyane Wade’s kids arrive to him, after he has just received news that he won custody of his children. Overall this book was very good at showing the personal side of Wade.
Andrew
August 25, 2017
This book is a mixture of fatherhood and basketball. The main conflict in the book revolves around his custody battle with his ex-Wife. All of the basketball parts of his life do not hold a candle to his children. Wade's actions speak louder than his words. Wade's kids are proof of his commitment to family. Hopefully more aspiring athletes put their Family First and follow the footsteps of Wade. Here are a few random things I enjoyed about this book(view spoiler)[ I know more than I wanted to know about his ex-wife Siohvaughn Wade. Dwyane's Mom Jolinda Wade was a drug addict constantly getting in trouble with the law. Dwyane Wade sr. (his Dad) introduced him to basketball and helped develop his skills. College was one of the hardest times for Wade. He missed a full season because of a failed ACT.He had his first kid with Siohvaughn when he was still in college. Dwayne has been underrated throughout his basketball career. (hide spoiler)]
Marcia Huntting
July 11, 2018
Other than the Warriors and LeBron, I have limited knowledge of NBA; so reading Dwyane's book was a way for me to make points with my grandchildren! I enjoyed the book very much. His heart for fatherhood and lifting up others were of course the things that captured me the most. Following that was the writing style: being able to weave the past with the present was very well done. I believe I read that he had help with that, but if he didn't, he's one heck of a writer! I would have liked to read more about how he is raising his boys to be close to Christ, but that might have turned off some readers. I'm guessing he wanted his theme to be "fatherhood" instead of the narrower "Christian fatherhood" so he could reach the largest audience. I'm good with that!
Jonathan
September 15, 2020
This was a good bookDwayne lays out his childhood in this book and the many blessings that led him from a tough childhood to becoming an nba starBe careful of the titleThis book is not a manual on how to become a better fatherHalf of the book was a warning on how disastrous going through a divorce can beIt’s crazy how he and his first wife toughed through being broke college parents to everything crashing down within a few years of having it all in the nbaMoney does not buy happinessI recommend this book for kids going through a tough childhood to not feel so alone
Andre
October 11, 2020
I grew up watching the NBA and the rise of LeBron James. I got to learn and watch more of Dwayne Wade in 2011 when LJ joined the Miami Heat. From the moment I learned about his book I got interested, little I knew about DW life. This book is a window to the reality of someone who went through life struggles from a young age and managed to a find a way to overcome it.In terms of the writing, it's a mix of alternating chapters from his childhood/youthhood and parenthood years, which nicely contextualizes his thought process throughout the book.
Ethan
June 11, 2019
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for many reasons. It was a great insight into how Dwyane became the person he is today. Through his rough childhood on the streets of Chicago to being a basketball phenom at Marquette University, it all leads up to how he is today. He also explains very well how his life wasn't just about basketball-it was about being a father before basketball. I didn't like how he wrote the book so early because many significant things happened since the book was published. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book because it taught me many things about him.
Lauren
April 14, 2019
Dwyane Wade is an all around incredible human being. I thought that his basketball skills and general philanthropy was what was admirable about him, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Hearing his philosophy on life and parenting and how he has used his past to inform his future is inspiring. I'm not a Christian, but I have some things I'd like to try to apply in my own life that Wade shares in this book.
Salah
August 11, 2018
Dwyane is my favorite basketball player.Reading his story and learning what he has gone through only cements his legacy as one of the finest to ever play in the 4 position.It was published in 2012. And although I believe it was not meant to narrate his basketball story in details but to provide an overview of his life circumstances and how he managed to get over them, a newer edition that includes the events of the last 6 seasons would be nice!
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