Former NBA Finals champion Dwyane Wade has made a return to basketball, but not as a player.
Wade, making his game-calling debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics, appeared alongside play-by-play commentator Noah Eagle on the NBC family of networks' coverage of Olympics basketball on Saturday. Fans were instantly enamored with Wade's commentary during a matchup between France and Brazil.
Wade, who will call Team USA games alongside Eagle during the Paris Games, delivered plenty of high-energy moments, like yelling "Yabusele" during a Gabriel Yabusele dunk. He even gave solid analysis on French phenom Victor Wembanyama, who was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2023-24.
REQUIRED READING:What to know about Dwyane Wade as NBC's Olympic basketball commentator at Paris Games
“(Wembanyama) is electrifying and that’s not even a big enough word for what he brings," Wade said. "But what I love most about him … it's the patience of this player ... to make sure that his teammates get involved and get into the game first.”
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NBC Olympics president and executive producer Molly Solomon told USA TODAY in June that Wade's experience of having previously competed in international games — while also having a relationship with multiple players on the team, including LeBron James, with whom he won two NBA championships — was part of the reason he was selected for the role, despite having limited game-calling experience.
Eagle and Wade could also be a sign of things to come, as NBC, along with Amazon and ESPN, recently acquired the media rights to broadcast NBA games starting in 2025-26.
The former Miami Heat guard was a 13-time NBA All-Star and represented the United States at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, where he won a bronze and a gold medal, respectively.
Here's how social media reacted to Wade's game-calling duties on Saturday:
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS:Follow USA TODAY's full coverage here
Here's how social media reacted to Wade working on NBC's broadcast team for France vs. Brazil basketball on Saturday:
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