Dwyane Wade, a future Hall of Famer, reflects on his family’s move away from Florida, a state he “called home” for a long time.

The former Miami Heat star, now 41 years old, and his wife Gabrielle Union moved their family west after he retired from the NBA. Wade tells PEOPLE that the couple made the decision on their own and that it “wasn’t because we love the Sunshine State any less.”

Wade says, “When we had to decide what the next step was for our family as we were all coming together a little bit more, we had to think about our family and how it looked, and how we wаnted our kids to feel, what we want them to see on a daily basis.”

When pressed further, Wade admits that “Florida just wasn’t it for us at that time anymore.”

The father of three children says Florida “has been so fantastic for our family” in many respects, but that “moving ahead, raising our family, it simply wasn’t the best spot.”

He explains that the Wades felt at home in California “because of everything that it represents and the community that is represented out here.”

And, as Wade puts it, “the community that my daughter is a part of” is “represented in a way that we felt comfortable” in the Golden State. Zaya, Wade’s 15-year-old daughter, announced her transition in the year 2020.

The NBA’s Orlando Magic also call Florida home in addition to the Miami Heat. The Magic organization gave a PAC backing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s presidential bid $50,000 on May 12.

The National Basketball Association Players Association released a statement to PEOPLE criticizing the donation, calling it “alarming given recent comments and policies of its beneficiary.”

Despite how much Wade “loves” Florida, he and his family no longer feel “protected” there. Wade said of the Magic’s donation, “There’s been a lot that’s come out of Florida, I don’t know, there’s been a lot that I’ve heard.”

Amid the NBA team’s support for DeSantis, Wade says he “didn’t need validation at all” in making the decision to leave Florida, but he continues, “It’s just not a place right now that my family and I feel protected, feel safe, feel seen, and I’m thankful that I’m able to speak out on it because I know there’s other families that feel the same way.”

After his retirement from the NBA, he said, “So, we have to continue to keep doing what we can so we could see some change happening in a place that I call home before.”

Wade has pondered getting involved in Florida politics as a means of enacting the change he so desperately wants to see.

Wade responded three months after allegations appeared that Florida Democrats were considering him and fellow ex-NBA player Grant Hil for a run for U.S. Senate in 2024.

Reports of the two former NBA players being identified by Democratic donor groups began to circulate in May, and when The New York Times contacted Wade about them, he indicated he had “heard” about the discussions.

He went on to sаy that he had indeed been approached about a political candidacy, but he scoffed at the suggestion that he might actually run.

“I meаn, it’s just conversation,” Wade emphasized. As in, “‘Hey, you would be good for,’ “‘Hey, we can see you in,’ “‘We would love to have you in.’ ”

He emphasized, “I will speak up and stand up for the things that I care deeply about. As a result, I avoid engaging in political machinations. Sorry, but I can’t offer you much insight on the subject.

Wade has a son, Xavier, 9, with Aja Metoyer, and two daughters, Zaire, 21, and Zaya, 16, with ex-wife Siovaughn Funches. Wade and his wife, the actress Gabrielle Union, are parents of a 4-year-old girl named Kaavia James. Wade is the designated conservator for his 21-year-old nephew, Dahveon Morris.