Home

NBA

Dwayne Wade Uses Met Gala to Campaign for 6’4 NBA Star Against Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets

Published 05/06/2024, 10:53 PM EDT

Follow Us

via Imago

All the glam and glitz of the Met Gala couldn’t keep Dwyane Wade’s mind off the playoffs. And the defending champs are not on his radar for the victory. As much as he’s a fan of Nikola Jokic, The Flash is looking at the future. For someone who was there when the Miami Heat won its first championship against all odds, D-Wade is rooting for the underdogs. Especially those who might be the future faces of the NBA.

So at the Met Gala, when the dapper NBA star was asked which team he has his eye on as the title contender, two names popped up – Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “There’s some young guys coming up in the league and they ain’t trying to wait their turn.” His reasoning behind the same was, “As one of the young guys who didn’t wait his turn, I love to see what they are doing.” Further, there’s a clear favorite between them too and it’s Ant.

Denver Nuggets are locked in the Western Conference semis with the Minnesota Timberwolves who are leading the series 2-0. On the night of the Met Gala, Game 2 ended 80-106 in Minnesota’s favor with Jokic only scoring 16 while Edwards made 27 points. For the first time since 2023, the Nuggets don’t seem as invincible while Antman is determined to prove he’s the new star of the league.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

As per Wade it’s only natural to want to lean towards Denver to win a back-to-back championship but Edwards’s performance is persuading him otherwise. Though some argue that it’s too soon to tell, D-Wade might be feeling a sense of deja vu.

He was the young Marquette alum in the Miami Heat that needed just a little more push to go beyond the playoffs. 3x champion from the opposite coast, Shaquille O’Neal arrives while still in his prime. The first season with the Big Diesel was good, not great. The next year, Dwyane Wade won his first of three championships in 2006 at the age of 24.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

22-year-old Edwards is drawing comparisons to Michael Jordan. But everyone is quick to bring him down a notch saying it’s too early to project him as that great. To D-Wade, it’s never too soon to be great.

Ant impresses the Wade Fam

Before Jokic won a championship, Wade was already calling him the best player in the league. Only natural for him to change his opinion according to what he sees. Along with Wade, Ant has turned Paul Piece, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and other veterans into fans. They’re comparing him to MJ and Kobe.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

However, when someone threw Dwyane Wade’s name into the hat too, his wife, Gabrielle Union seconded it. Edwards famously said he studied D-Wade’s films to mimic his moves, especially his knack for maneuvering ball screens. Union endorsed his methods by sharing that clip on her Instagram Stories.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

So it appears that Wade’s one and only Met Gala date is a fan too. That tells who the Wade-Union house is rooting for in Western Conference semifinals.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Caroline John

1,415Articles

One take at a time

Caroline John is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports. She holds a Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from a reputed university. With 8 years of experience in content writing and after judiciously covering the life of Shaquille O’Neal, she earned an exclusive interview with the CEO of Shaq’s Big Chicken franchise, Josh Halpern.
Show More>

Edited by:

Aazima Basharat