When you’re an NBA star, the world sees you as a highlight reel. Slam dunks, buzzer-beaters, championship rings—the glory is endless. But what about the moments that happen off the court, away from the cameras? What about being a father in between away games and late-night flights? In a recent heart-to-heart, Zaire Wade opened up about his father, Dwyane Wade— the quiet, powerful ways he connected with his children during the chaos of his career. It wasn’t always loud or flashy. Sometimes, it was as simple as a notebook.

Back in 2011, following a long and bitter custody battle with his ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches, Dwyane Wade was granted sole custody of his two kids, Zaire and Zaya. It wasn’t easy. “He has the time if he makes the time,” Judge Renee G. Goldfarb had noted in her ruling—a subtle but sharp reminder of the stakes involved. Zaire, just a preteen then, admitted he was struggling. He was a self-proclaimed “momma’s boy,” who suddenly relocated into a new rhythm with a father who was still learning the ropes of full-time parenting while carrying the weight of an NBA franchise. How do you juggle being a league icon and a nurturing dad? Simple—by handing young Zaire a blank notebook.

No rules. No pressure. Just a place to speak — in silence. “I would leave it under his door,” Zaire remembered, “and then, whenever he would get back from a road trip, he would see it, open it, write his own thing, leave it back under my door.” It became a loop of love, a diary of understanding despite not uttering a single word.