Dwyane Wade Says He Still Has Mom's Letters From Prison, 'I Read Them Sometimes'

It's been decades since Dwyane Wade's mom was in prison, but he just revealed to TMZ Sports he still has all the notes she sent him from her time behind bars ... and he still reads them to this day.

The NBA legend opened up to us about being pen pals with Jolinda Wade while she was incarcerated earlier in his life, and he explained why it was super important to both of them to keep in contact despite her situation.

He told us he wanted to let her know "we wasn't judging her. We wasn't pointing fingers at her. We just loved her and we just wanted her to come home to us."

As for her letters to him, even though she couldn't be around him physically, the messages still gave him the strong connection to his mom that he desired.

Dwyane told us he actually still pores over her words from time to time -- revealing, "no matter where you go in life you've got to go back and take a look to appreciate things."

Jolinda -- who battled addiction -- was released from custody in 2003 and found sobriety. She went on to become an ordained pastor -- and in 2008, Dwyane gifted her a Chicago church.

Last week, she surprised her now-43-year-old son on "TODAY with Jenna & Friends," and told him how much it meant to her that he'd write her during her time in a cell.

"Your letters got me through each day and enabled me to be a part of all the wonderful things that was happening in your life," she said.