There may be a new elite duo in the basketball broadcasting world thanks to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Dwyane Wade and Noah Eagle are leading NBC's coverage of Team USA men's basketball at the Summer Games. Fans have begun to enjoy their chemistry thus far.
Eagle, just 26 years old, has similar poise and confidence to his father Ian Eagle, who is also a sports broadcaster. Wade is composed as well, returning to TV coverage after spending some time with Turner Sports.
Besides some analyst work at Turner Sports, Wade doesn't have a ton of broadcast experience. Nonetheless, NBC chose him to sit next to Eagle at the world's most prestigious sporting event.
Here's how that duo formed and why Wade was selected.
MORE: Who are Team USA's biggest threats at the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Who is calling Olympics basketball for NBC and Peacock?
Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade and American sportscaster Noah Eagle are calling basketball at the 2024 Olympics.
Wade isn't the most accomplished broadcaster, but there are few former NBA players with as much playing experience. The former shooting guard played for Team USA in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, earning bronze and gold, respectively. He also won two NBA championships with LeBron James, who is on Team USA's 2024 squad.
MORE: Revisiting Dwyane Wade's Olympics career with Team USA
Wade's connection to James and several other athletes on the roster gave him a leg up when NBC was selecting an analyst.
"He's so thoughtful, and of course, has experience with so many members of the team," NBC Olympics president and executive producer Molly Solomon told USA Today. "So I think there'll be a lot of personal storytelling. He'll have access to members of that team to get new insight. And I look forward to hearing a new voice in the basketball space."
This snap of RJ Barrett and Dwyane Wade 🔥#Paris2024 x #Basketball pic.twitter.com/xx7RViHeGl
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 30, 2024
Along with Wade and Eagle, Kerith Burke, Zora Stephenson and Bob Fitzgerald round out the sideline crew for both men's and women's coverage of the Olympics. LaChina Robinson takes Wade's analyst seat during the women's games.
A graduate of Syracuse, Eagle has experience calling various sports, including basketball, tennis and football. His father, Ian, is a veteran in the space. He calls games for the NBA's Brooklyn Nets and is now the lead voice of the NCAA Tournament.
The duo has impressed so far, which could mean there's more to come beyond the Olympics. NBC secured a spot in the NBA's newest TV deal which starts in the 2025-26 season.
Wade and Eagle would be on a year-long break, but it's possible they could be back when NBC returns to the NBA for the first time since 2002.
MORE: How Dwyane Wade created his signature pronouns call on NBC
Dwyane Wade 'he/him' pronouns call
Wade has already settled into his analyst role on NBC just a few games into the Olympics. The 13-time All-Star and two-time Olympic medalist has his own signature call on the mic.
When a player is playing well, Wade says their pronouns are "he/him." It's a play on how athletes, and people in general, have used the phrase "I'm Him" after a big play or notable moment.
Y’all know the pronouns: HE/HIM 👑 😂 https://t.co/WNbD9GWMLA
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) July 28, 2024
It's also been used to describe others in the context of "He's Him." Lakers guard Austin Reaves and Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs are just two examples of athletes using the phrase.
Wade has used this when describing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and LeBron James during the Olympics.
