Dwyane Wade is heading to Paris.
The longtime Miami Heat star and basketball Hall of Famer will serve as a commentator for the U.S. men’s basketball team on NBC during the Olympics in Paris, the network announced Wednesday.
Wade will work alongside Noah Eagle, who will be the play-by-play announcer for both the men’s and women’s competitions during the Olympics, with Lachina Robinson providing commentary for the women’s events.
“I am thrilled to join NBC Sports as a commentator for Team USA Men’s Basketball,” Wade said in a statement. “The Olympic Games are the world’s premier sporting event, featuring the best athletes competing on the biggest stage in the world. Looking back on my time competing as an Olympian, I feel great pride and have the utmost respect for these athletes and their dedication to their accomplishments. It will be an honor to share this special experience with our viewers as we witness their journey firsthand and celebrate with them in their quest for a gold medal.”
Wade has had experience in the broadcast booth before — after retiring in 2019, he briefly worked as a studio analyst for TNT before leaving the network to join the ownership of the Utah Jazz — but he played 16 seasons in the league, most of them with the Heat, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year.
Wade has represented the United States several times in the past, winning a gold medal with the Redeem Team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a bronze medal in 2004.
“It’s a challenge for me, and I’m always in a position where I’m faced with challenges,” Wade told USA Today about his new job. “You want to be confident that doors will open if you work hard enough, and I’m going to give it my all during my three weeks in France.”
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics is scheduled for July 26. The men’s basketball tournament begins on July 27. Team USA will play its first game against Serbia on July 28. South Sudan and another team that has yet to qualify are also scheduled to play in Group C.
