Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade earned some broadcasting reps during the 2024 Olympics, serving as a color commentator during Team USA’s run to gold.
Based on The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch’s read on things, Wade is going to get serious consideration from networks for his broadcasting chops if he’s interested.
“There will be a significant number of NBA broadcasting jobs open given NBC and Amazon will enter the market in 2025 as media rights-holders,” wrote Deitsch. “Given his Hall of Fame profile and the reps he undertook in Paris, Dwyane Wade will get a serious look from networks if he’s interested. Wade said he’s worked with both a speech and vocal coach for preparation.”
Wade, 42, is several years removed from the end of his NBA career, and given his love for the game, perhaps he’d be excited by the idea of making a name for himself in the broadcasting industry.
“NBC Sports president Rick Cordella said no talent decisions have been made for NBC’s NBA coverage other than Mike Tirico and [Noah] Eagle will play significant roles as play-by-play voices,” wrote Deitsch. “(Tirico will be the No. 1.) But NBC now has a relationship with Wade, and that should seriously count should Wade decide he wants to do this. NBC also needs multiple analysts, so Wade would not have to be on the No. 1 team at the start.”
Cordella of NBC Sports spoke about what can be expected.
“We’ll sit down this fall and talk about talent in the pregame show, talk about talent on our play-by-play analyst positions,” Cordella said. “We’ll need multiple because we have games on three nights a week.”
Wade received mixed reviews from viewers during the Olympics, but some fans certainly loved what he brought to the table, and it shouldn’t be forgotten that he entered with very little experience in a spot like that. With more reps, he’d likely get even better and more comfortable.
A number of Heat fans would undoubtedly love to see Wade in a broadcasting role in the future. The Hall of Famer has ownership stakes in the NBA’s Utah Jazz and WNBA’s Chicago Sky, so he remains tied to the professional basketball world, but for Heat fans who want to see more of Wade, a broadcasting gig would give him a chance to regularly be in the public eye.
Wade earned a number of accolades during his NBA career but is likely remembered best for his three NBA championships and his role in the Big 3 era. He helped the Heat win their first NBA title in 2006 while playing alongside Shaquille O’Neal, then he brought two more titles to South Florida with the help of LeBron James and Chris Bosh in 2012 and 2013.
The Heat have never won a championship without Wade, something they’re looking to change in the near future. While they try to do that, perhaps Wade will be calling games and adding to his basketball legacy in a new way now that his playing days are over.
