It was gathered that Bruno Lauer took in the actor when he became homeless as a teenager after he and his mother were evicted from their home in Hawaii, and once again nine years later when Dwayne fell on hard times while trying to make it as a wrestler.
On New Year's Day, the Fast & Furious star, 48, took to his Instagram to share a clip of the sweet moment that he 'returned the favour' to Bruno by surprising him with a Ford F150 and promised his friend he's 'got him covered' when he chooses to retire.
The former wrestling manager - who worked under the title of Harvey Wippleman in the 1990s - first took Dwayne in aged 15, and then the pair later lived in Bruno's trailer in Nashville.
Dwayne explained the story behind their friendship, which included Bruno purchasing The Rock his first car from 'a crackhead' for $40.
He wrote: 'Merry Christmas, Bruno Love you, brother! 100% crackhead free. My life (especially my teenage years) has been full of the wildest twists and turns.
'Yet God and the universe had always found a way to put a few people in my path that would change the trajectory of the road I was going down.
'Meet one of my lifelong friends, Bruno Lauer — or I prefer to call him, 'Downtown Bruno' My mom and I were evicted off the island of Hawaii and I was sent to Nashville, Tennessee to live with my dad.
'When I landed in Nashville, I quickly found out I wasn't gonna live with my dad. S**t happens, plans change and that's the way it goes.
'Instead, I told I was gonna live with a guy named Bruno. Who at the time lived in a tiny room at a spot called the Alamo Plaza motel.
'Bruno could've (and should've) said hell no, I'm not takin' in some kid who I don't know. But he didn't. He took this punk kid in and we became lifelong friends.'
Explaining that nine years later he found himself once again on hard times, Dwayne praised Bruno for stepping up for him and letting him stay in his trailer.
Dwayne wrote: 'Then ironically - about 9 years later when I had the infamous '$7 Bucks' in my pocket - I started my wrestling career in Memphis, Tennessee and AGAIN - had no place to live and Bruno took me and let me shake up in his trailer, til I could get on my feet.
'And hell, when I was 15yrs old, Bruno even gave me his last $40 bucks so I could hustle a crackhead out of his car one night at a honky tonk in Nashville.
'But the hustle was on me, because when I took off down the road there was a SECOND CRACKHEAD passed out on the floor in the back! Wild times at 15yrs old.
'Merry Christmas, Bruno and since you helped me 'buy' my first car - I figured I could return the favor and buy you one that 100% does NOT have a crackhead in the back seat.
'I love you, brother. Your kindness and heart - helped change my life's trajectory. And when you're ready to retire from 'the business' you just say the word. I got you covered. We'll go 'downtown.' Enjoy your new ride and give Walls, Mississippi my love and gratitude.'
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