Miami Heat legendary guard Dwyane Wade is headed back to the Olympics for the first time in nearly two decades–but this time not as a player.
The two-time Olympic veteran and 16-year NBA veteran will serve as an analyst for the Team USA men’s basketball team for the 2024 Paris Olympics, NBC announced earlier this week.
“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.”
This incredible honor will be Wade’s first Olympics as an analyst, joining Noah Eagle, who will be doing play-by-play for both men’s and women’s basketball games for Team USA in Paris. He previously was an NBA analyst for TNT from 2019-22.
“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 told USA Today in a recent interview. “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, 42, previously competed in two Olympics with Team USA, including being a part of the 2008 “Redeem Team” in Beijing after a disappointing bronze medal finish in the 2004 Athens Olympics. In 16 career Olympic competitions, he averaged 11.6 points on 54.4/40.0/65.6 percent shooting, including 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game.
He was arguably the most impactful player on the 2008 Redeem Team, averaging 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.3 steals on absurd efficiency (72.7 TS%!!). He scored 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting–including 4-of-7 from distance– in the Gold Medal game against Spain, resulting in a 118-107 win.
Widely regarded as the greatest player in Miami Heat history, Wade will have a statue built for him outside of Kaseya Center after winning three NBA Titles (all with Heat)–including the team’s first-ever title in 2006, which Wade spearheaded–plus earning eight All-NBA honors and 13 All-Star nods. The Hall of Famer was the scoring champ in 2008-09 after averaging 30.2 points on 57.4 percent true shooting. He is also one of the greatest players to never win an MVP, finishing in the top-10 six times, top-5 twice and top-3 just once (’08-09; 3rd).
Heat center Bam Adebayo is expected to be a part of Team USA’s roster with Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra serving as an assistant under Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. The Team USA Basketball Showcase tips off on July 15 against Australia in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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dwade can do it all.watching him evolve is fun to see.whats next maybe next coach of heat