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  • Thanks for being here.

  • Thank you.

  • That was a clip from the ESPN documentary.

  • And first of all, I just--

  • I think it's what every--

  • you know, every parent should be is what you're being right now,

  • which is unconditionally loving your child

  • and supporting your child--

  • Thank you.

  • --in whoever they are.

  • I mean--

  • Thank you.

  • [APPLAUSE]

  • That's-- there are so many parents that are just, oh,

  • you're not going the way I imagined or wanted you to be

  • and freak out.

  • And you're so loving and supportive of Zaya.

  • And what a special child she is.

  • Yeah, she is, she is.

  • Thank you so much for that.

  • First of all, me and my wife, my wife Gabrielle Union,

  • we are proud, when I say proud, we are proud parents of a child

  • in the LGBTQ+ community.

  • And we're proud allies as well.

  • And we take our roles and our responsibility

  • as parents very seriously.

  • So when our child comes home with a question,

  • when our child comes home with a issue, when our child comes

  • home with anything, it's our job as parents

  • to listen to that, to give them the best information that we

  • can, the best feedback that we can,

  • and that doesn't change because sexuality is now

  • involved in it.

  • So once Zaya, our 12-year-old came home--

  • and first Zion-- everybody--

  • I don't know if everyone knows-- originally named Zion, Zion

  • born as a boy, came home and said, hey,

  • so I want to talk to you guys.

  • I think going forward, I'm ready to live my truth.

  • And I want to be referenced as she and her.

  • I would love for you guys to call me Zaya.

  • And so internally, now it's our job to,

  • one, go out and get information, to reach out

  • to every relationship that we have.

  • My wife reached out to everybody on the cast of "Pose."

  • And we're just trying to figure out

  • as much information we can to make sure

  • that we give our child the best opportunity to be, you know,

  • her best self.

  • Yeah.

  • I mean, I would think that it's one thing--

  • [APPLAUSE]

  • It's one thing to have this at home, but knowing that she's

  • going to be out in the world--

  • Yeah.

  • --because you're a public figure,

  • and even if you weren't, she's going to school,

  • and to want to be protective and to make sure she's safe--

  • Yes.

  • --that must be a scary thing, because it's one thing for you

  • to love her and your wife to love her, but that must--

  • you just want everyone to love her the same way.

  • Exactly.

  • And once Zaya came home and said, hey, you call me Zion,

  • I'm ready to take on this, I looked at her and said,

  • you are a leader.

  • You are a leader.

  • And this is our opportunity to allow you to be a voice.

  • Right now it's through us, because she's 12 years old.

  • But eventually, it will be through her.

  • Right.

  • Well, and GLSEN is an organization

  • you're working with.

  • And there's a lot of-- if anybody else there-- out

  • there can relate to this and needs help,

  • you can go to our website and we can direct you,

  • because I'm sure there are a lot of people that

  • just don't know what to do.

  • Yeah.

  • So you're a great example.

  • Thank you.

  • The-- I know that everybody is still grieving over the loss

  • of Kobe--

  • Yeah.

  • --and all the people that we lost on--

  • you must have a lot of memories of Kobe.

  • And he was-- he was just such a light, wasn't he?

  • He was just such a bright, bright light.

  • He was special.

  • I mean, I think my favorite-- you know,

  • we all have stories and moments of our interactions with Kobe.

  • But I think what was special about him

  • and why you see so many guys in the NBA or so many younger guys

  • really tore up about this is because he was

  • the first superstar that really embraced different generations,

  • really embraced us.

  • And I think from, like, 2008 on, from the Olympics on,

  • he really put his arms around us,

  • as competitors, and the rest of the world.

  • You saw him being more involved in so many different sports,

  • not just basketball and soccer, obviously,

  • with his daughter and women basketball.

  • But he just started being a person

  • that everybody can call and reach out to and say, hey,

  • Kobe, I have a question.

  • So I'm going to miss that example--

  • Yeah.

  • --not only just my friend, but that example

  • that he was setting not only for me, but with so many others.

  • Yep.

  • Yep.

  • Well said.

  • [APPLAUSE]

  • He was a good guy.

  • Yeah.

  • You're a good guy.

  • You've got to see the documentary.

  • It's called D. Wade, Life Unexpected.

  • It airs Sunday, February 23, at 9:00 on ESPN.

  • We'll be right back.

Thanks for being here.

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