Updated – 9 AM, Dec. 31

Prior to Miami Heat’s game against the Denver Nuggets on Monday, Dec. 30, Dwyane Wade seized the opportunity to confirm rumors that he fathered a third child, a son, and open up about his relationship with his youngest child, whom he fathered  earlier this year during a temporary split from his now-fiancée, Gabrielle Union.

He reiterated that his main focus has always been, and remains to be, on his family and his children.

“I’ve always tried to show my importance in my kids’ lives and it doesn’t change now,” he said. “So me and my lady and my family have continued to move forward and I think that’s evident with the ring and the proposal that I gave her with our lives.”

Dwyane confirmed reports stating his fiancée knew about the child prior to accepting his proposal, stating, “this is something that my family knows and my now fiancée worked through when we got back together, and understood that we wanted to continue our lives together and continue supporting our family.”

The NBA champ added that his son, who is “about a month old,” may have caused some pain or tension in the past, but at the end of the day, he’s grateful for another healthy addition to his family.

“This is something, obviously, private for my family that we will continue to deal with [as] a family,” he explained. “But we have a blessing to the bloodline… and from that standpoint, it doesn’t, to me, state anything differently from what I’ve always shown.”

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A proposal is usually followed by happiness and excitement—but for newly engaged Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade, this time usually marked by joy is being met with a scandal.

According to new reports, the NBA star, 31, fathered a child during a temporary split from his now-fiancée, 41.

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Entertainment Tonight revealed Dwyane recently spent time with his youngest child, a boy, and that Gabrielle was aware of the child when the Miami Heat shooting guard popped the question earlier this month.

Dwyane is no stranger to fatherhood; the Chicago native has sole custody of his two older sons—Zaire, 11, and Zion, 6—who he fathered with his ex-wife and high school sweetheart, Siohvaughn Funches.

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In a October 2012 interview with JustTheFab.com, Gabby revealed that she’s open to having children of her own—but that she’s not rushing into anything!

“I have dance-on-table fever,” she laughed when asked if she had baby favor. “Yeah, I mean, eventually I’ll probably get baby fever somewhere after you know, marriage fever… and I’m still enjoying boyfriend-girlfriend fever.”

Well, the NBA star may have put a ring on it—but we have a feeling that news of his secret third child may put a Dwyane/Gabrielle baby on hold for right now!

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