Gabrielle Union, on Marrying Her "Best Friend" Dwyane Wade: "I Would Highly Recommend It"

Updated on 5/2/2016 at 2:00 AM

Gabrielle Union's gorgeous face graces the May/June cover of Ocean Drive Magazine, and in the accompanying interview, she's opening up about her marriage to basketball player Dwyane Wade. In addition to revealing the one thing that keeps them strong, the actress dished on the early days of their courtship, why they decided to get married, and even how they discipline the kids. The couple has been married for over two years now, but at the time, Dwayne already had three sons: Zaire, 13, Zion, 8, and Xavier, 2. Even so, Dwyane's sweet Instagram message in December 2015 made it clear Gabrielle is a vital part of the family. Throughout their time together, we've seen plenty of cute couple pictures and adorable family snaps to boot. So, what's their secret? Find Gabrielle's quotes belows, then learn up on why we love her so damn much.

On the early days of their courtship: "[I] couldn't take him seriously . . . he finally wore me down. It was very When Harry Met Sally. One day I just thought, Oh, I guess you could be an option."
On how they keep the marriage happy: "If you have good, effective, honest communication, you can handle any issue or problem in a relationship. D is literally my best friend. We really, really enjoy spending time with each other more than anybody else. Well, with D, maybe I'm tied with LeBron! But I'm definitely his favorite female! If you have the chance to marry your best friend, I would highly recommend it."
On why they decided to tie the knot: "D and I could have gone on for a long time as boyfriend and girlfriend, but the kids were the driving force in wanting us to be a legitimate, like, 'real' — and I'm using my finger quotes — family in their eyes. We got on board with it, and it's the best decision we could have made — not just for us as a couple, but for our family."
On how they deal with disciplining the kids: "We literally keep track," she says. "There's basically an imaginary chart: 'I was bad cop last time; now it's your turn. You have to be the jerk who doles out punishment for missed homework assignments or talking on the phone after curfew.' With the older boys, they come to me with girl stuff, homework. Or if they're trying to butter up Dad, they definitely come to me to soften me up first. I'm the line of defense, I guess, before Dad."
On what Dwyane thinks of her: "He appreciates my independence, and my high credit score, and the fact that if I want a Chanel bag, I'm not asking for his Amex; I've got my own."