Dwyane Wade Calls Letters From Incarcerated Mom ‘Greatest Pen Pal’

Dwyane Wade Calls Letters From Incarcerated Mom ‘Greatest Pen Pal’ originally appeared on Parade.

Former NBA starDwyane Wade, who recently co-hosted the Today Show with Jenna & Friends, is opening up about the sweet way he connected with his incarcerated mom. Wade, a three-time NBA champion, got real about his mom’s stint in prison during a sidewalk interview courtesy of TMZ Sports.

On the Today Show, former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade’s mom, Jolinda Wade, joined him for a segment in which she reflected on exchanging letters with her son while she was in jail and on the special bond they share.

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A fan caught up with D-Wade the following day, explaining she has an incarcerated parent with whom she also exchanges letters. Wade was candid about what that correspondence meant to him—and to his mom—during her time in jail.

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He said, “It was the greatest pen pal that I've ever had. To be able to, like you know, have a connection still to my mind, you know, even though she wasn't there in the physical, we still had a connection. We still shared things, right, and so she was still there for me. And I knew that she was going to get out, and so I just wanted to be there for her as much as I could.”

The Cube host also shared that he still reflects on those letters from his mom, stating, “I still have the letters, so I go back and I read them sometimes, you know, to see like no matter where you go in life, you always gotta go back. You got to take a look you know and appreciate it right now.”

Fans were touched by Wade’s humble take, with one writing, “How can you not love this guy?” while another shared, “This is making my heart melt with joy.”

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Jolinda Wade, was arrested in 1994 for possession of crack cocaine. She is thought to have served anywhere from nine to fourteen months before entering a work-release program. While there, Jolinda fled and lived as a fugitive for several years before eventually turning herself in and completing her sentence.

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Dwyane Wade Calls Letters From Incarcerated Mom ‘Greatest Pen Pal’ first appeared on Parade on Jul 17, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.