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If there is one thing Dwyane Wade is known for, it is looking his best while being prepared for anything coming his way.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer again will be front and center during his newest venture as a game analyst for NBC Sports during Team USA’s men’s basketball games at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Wade will join Noah Eagle — who will handle play-by-play duties for Team USA men’s and women’s basketball games — and make his NBC Olympics debut in Paris. LaChina Robinson, who will work her third Olympic assignment for NBC Sports, will be the U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team’s game analyst, and Kerith Burke and Zora Stephenson will serve as sideline reporters.
“I’m thrilled to join NBC Sports as a commentator for Team USA Men’s Basketball games,” Wade said in a statement. “The Olympics are the world’s greatest sporting competition with elite athletes competing at the highest level on the world’s largest stage. I have tremendous pride when I look back at my time competing as an Olympic athlete. I have the utmost respect for these players and their commitment to greatness. It will be an honor to witness their journey in person and share this special experience with viewers while we unite to celebrate their pursuit of the gold.”
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Wade, a three-time NBA champion and 13-time NBA All-Star, said his newest gig is nothing more than taking advantage of an opportunity to do something different on television.
“It is a challenge for me,” Wade told USA TODAY Sports while getting a manicure at a Los Angeles nail salon. “I am in a space where I am always in these certain challenges. You want to make sure that any door you want to walk through, if you put the work in, it will open for you.”
Wade served as an NBA studio analyst for TNT from 2019-22 and won a gold medal as part of the “Redeem Team” at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Team USA has won gold in every Olympics since that triumph in China, and the U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team has won gold in each of the last seven Olympic games.
Although he has never served in this capacity as a game analyst, Wade says he is more than prepared for the assignment because of his knowledge of the game. One thing he won’t do is call out Team USA if they struggle in the Olympic tournament.
“Yeah, I won’t do that,” Wade says. “I think we have to discuss what we see. I am not really into calling players out, but to really give the audience an opportunity to understand what’s going on in the game.”
Wade understands that any new job has a learning curve, especially with this high-profile assignment. He says not to worry; he will have the same focus he did as a player for 16 NBA seasons, with one caveat.
“Well, definitely pronouncing names outside of Team USA. That is something I am going to have to put some work in on,” he said with a laugh. “But I have always said I want to be on every side of basketball, so this is just another one of those opportunities.”
Before he jets off to France, Wade says he will enjoy the upcoming NBA Finals and then get to work on Olympics duties.
How he has time to do anything, including getting a manicure, is still a mystery, as Wade’s other basketball ventures include co-owning the Utah Jazz and WNBA’s Chicago Sky. He also bought a stake in Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer and the NWSL’s Utah Royals.
However, once the Olympic tournament starts on July 27, those jobs will have to take a backseat.
“For those three weeks in France, I’m locking in,” Wade said.