Back in March of 2011, I posted an article about NBA star Dwyane Wade's custody battle with his ex-wife, and the rather rare outcome of his victory. This was my introduction to the article:

It took a long court battle - one of the longest in Cook County history and one most men could not afford - for Dwyane Wade to win custody of his children from his (less than sane) ex-wife. She did everything she could do to destroy Wade's reputation, including accusations that Wade and his current girlfriend had sex in front of the children (as well as accusations of "parental alienation"). The judge ruled that Siohvaughn Wade’s (the ex-wife) "ability and/or willingness to ease these children through a transition" is seriously in question. Ya think?

Here is some of the article about the case and Wade's response:

“I am very thankful that the court has given me custody of my boys and they are already at home with me in Miami and settling in,” the Miami Heat guard said in a statement. “Going through a custody trial was difficult and I wish it hadn’t been necessary, but, I felt it was the only way that I could continue to play an active part of my kids’ lives and provide them with a happy and stable home. My hope is that their mother will also choose to play a healthy role in their lives and we can all move on from this in a positive way.”

Cook County Circuit Judge Renee Goldfarb issued a 102-page ruling late Friday.

“This is a very difficult decision for this court,” her ruling reads. “This will be an abrupt change for the children. However, this court has very grave reservations about (Siohvaughn Wade’s) ability and/or willingness to ease these children through a transition.”

Just this last June (2012), the ex-wife was charged with child abduction for allegedly failing to return their sons, ages 10 and 5, to Wade as scheduled over the Father's Day weekend. She took the 5th to avoid self-incrimination in the hearing. Wade, who has sole custody, is now seeking termination of her visitation rights since this is the not first time she has refused to adhere to the court-mandated custody arrangement.

He has now written a book about his experience as a father and a professional athlete and appeared at Google to talk about the book - A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball.

Authors@Google: Dwyane Wade - "A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball" 

A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball

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.

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.