People can say a lot of things about Dwayne Wade. He’s had a legendary career in the NBA. He is a devoted husband and father of five kids, including social media star Zaya. And, occasionally—as people recently saw during the Miami Heat’s Dwayne Wade Hall of Fame Night celebration—he paints his nails.
However, it seems, not everyone is OK with that.
Last week, Mase and Cam’Ron claimed on their popular podcast, “It Is What It Is,” that seeing Wade wear nail polish was a disappointing.
Mase took it further and compared Wade wearing nail polish to him wearing lingerie. He said, “D-Wade, D-Wade. This is like seeing [Michael] Jordan in lingerie.”
Cam laughed at the statement, and the “Harlem World” rapper later also added, “It’s just something you don’t want to see, man. I feel like it just ruins everything for you, you know?”
There is a lot you can say about Black men, toxic masculinity and all the nuances of style and self expression in between—but nail polish?
Mase or Cam are of course allowed to have their opinion, but men taking care of their nails and adding a little self-expression seems like a win for everyone. And Wade isn’t alone, A$AP Rocky, Lil Yachty, and Drake all have painted their nails.
In the sports world, the most notable example is Caleb Williams, who is projected to be the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. But despite his good performance on the field of play, critics have attempted to tear down Williams’ character simply because he gets his nails painted before every game.
When talking about his game day tradition two years ago, Williams said, “My mom does nails. Let’s just start it off there. She’s done it my whole life. It’s just kind of always been around me. Nobody else does it. I just kinda like to do new things.”
He later added, “You gotta keep your hands fresh.”
So now we have to ask, are you here for more Black men painting their nails in the name of self-expression? Take our poll below.