Current:Home > MarketsDwyane Wade's Olympic broadcasts showing he could be future of NBC hoops -AssetLink
Dwyane Wade's Olympic broadcasts showing he could be future of NBC hoops
View
Date:2025-04-20 12:54:40
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."
2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.
Get Olympics updates in your texts! Join USA TODAY Sports' WhatsApp Channel
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.
This comes just in time for NBC. Assuming Wade wants to continue broadcasting beyond the Olympics, he'd be a perfect analyst for the network as it re-enters the NBA universe.
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.)
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
veryGood! (528)
Related
- Family of explorer who died in the Titan sub implosion seeks $50M-plus in wrongful death lawsuit
- Dobbs rallies Vikings to 31-28 victory over the Falcons 5 days after being acquired in a trade
- Full transcript of Face the Nation, Nov. 5, 2023
- Jennifer Garner Shows Rare PDA With Boyfriend John Miller on Lunch Date
- IOC's decision to separate speed climbing from other disciplines paying off
- ChatGPT-maker OpenAI hosts its first big tech showcase as the AI startup faces growing competition
- AP survey finds 55 of 69 schools in major college football now sell alcohol at stadiums on game day
- Cody Dorman, who watched namesake horse win Breeders’ Cup race, dies on trip home
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Colleges reporting surges in attacks on Jewish, Muslim students as war rages on
Ranking
- USA men's volleyball mourns chance at gold after losing 5-set thriller, will go for bronze
- Ukraine says 19 troops killed by missile at an awards ceremony. Zelenskyy calls it avoidable tragedy
- Tyson recalls 30,000 pounds of chicken nuggets after consumers report finding metal pieces
- Megan Fox Addresses Complicated Relationships Ahead of Pretty Boys Are Poisonous: Poems Release
- Family of explorer who died in the Titan sub implosion seeks $50M-plus in wrongful death lawsuit
- Stock market today: Asian markets advance after Wall Street logs its best week in nearly a year
- Investigators headed to U.S. research base on Antarctica after claims of sexual violence, harassment
- Former Guinea dictator, 2 others escape from prison after gunmen storm capital, justice minister says
Recommendation
Jamaica's Kishane Thompson more motivated after thrilling 100m finish against Noah Lyles
Don’t put that rhinestone emblem on your car’s steering wheel, US regulators say
Blinken seeks to contain Israel-Hamas war; meets with Middle East leaders in Jordan
The Best Beauty Stocking Stuffers of 2023 That Are All Under $30
'Stranger Things' prequel 'The First Shadow' is headed to Broadway
Two person Michigan Lottery group wins $1 million from Powerball
Texans running back steps in as emergency kicker in thrilling comeback win over Buccaneers
Blinken wraps up frantic Mideast tour with tepid, if any, support for pauses in Gaza fighting