Dwyane Wade is going to be one of those analysts who some will hear and love, and others will hear and want to mute the sound. When Wade and play-by-play partner Noah Eagle called the Olympic men’s basketball game against Serbia earlier this week in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Wade kept using this joke about LeBron James: ‘I know him personally, his pronouns are he/him.’ Wade couldn’t let the joke go and repeatedly used it and repeatedly annoyed.
Wade was roasted online. He’s still being roasted over it. But it would be a mistake to tune him out for that. It would be a mistake to tune him out, period.
Wade watches the game the way we do. There’s a genuine excitement and giddiness to his broadcasts. Almost a John Madden-like quality to his presence. He’s a basketball goofball who takes his job seriously but not himself.
During Team USA’s 103-86 win over South Sudan on Wednesday, the former Miami Heat star, when talking about how one of the South Sudan players likes to do nothing but shoot, joked: ‘He doesn’t see anything but the basket.’
Later, Wade described a hot-shooting James: ‘LeBron got that look. LeBron got that look, man.’
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Yes, sometimes the banter between Wade and Eagle is a bit too loose. And, yes, Wade’s a blatant James homer because they are close friends. But something big is happening with this new broadcast team.
Maybe it’s too early to say this. Maybe it’s even ridiculous to state it. But as a nerd who has been obsessed with sports broadcasts for decades, Wade is already one of the most entertaining color analysts I’ve ever seen. He’s not perfect. Maybe pairing him in the future with a more cynical analyst would provide strong balance. What’s clear is that NBC has something with this duo.
There are a number of terrific analysts (and often women who do the work like Doris Burke and Candace Parker don’t get mentioned enough as great talents) but it’s genuinely shocking to see Wade step into this role with such ease, and perform like he’s been doing it for decades.
The fact Wade is pleasant and expert aren’t the only reasons why he’s so good. It’s how he distributes what is an extensive, Hall of Fame computer bank level of knowledge to the viewer without condescension. This is a much trickier thing to do than people realize.
Broadcasts, especially now, are full of analysts who want to let you know how expert they are. They can’t wait to tell you. They grab you by the collar and say: hey, let me tell you how awesome I am at doing this job. Then they will tell you again tomorrow. Then tell your family and then your dog.
Wade is a broadcaster who is so confident in his expertise, he doesn’t feel the need to bash you over the head with it. He knows he’s an expert. We know he’s an expert.
I’ve been critical in the past of broadcasters like Eagle, who got their start because of their last name (his father is longtime broadcaster Ian Eagle). This type of thing is problematic because it excludes opportunities for people who don’t have well-known last names, especially women and broadcasters of color.
That doesn’t mean Noah Eagle isn’t good. He really is. One of the reasons Wade shines is because of Eagle. He allows Wade to be Wade.
Their chemistry is really hard to ignore. It’s like watching hoops with two friends: he and him.
(Sorry.)
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