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NBA legends are trendsetters. A certain NBA pro-turned-entertainer’s off-the-cuff reaction to Team USA’s elimination at the FIBA World Cup is catching on. His teammate from his Miami Heat days is the first NBA casualty to catch the bug. Now Shaquille O’Neal’s minor statement is not new. It’s credited to the best thing to bless the comedy genre, aka Martin Lawrence. Shaq just managed to revive a response that covered a whole range of emotions in two words. It apparently fit Dwyane Wade’s situation back home, too.

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D-Wade shared the tragedy that befell him on a casual day with his 20.3 million Instagram followers, which probably derailed his plans. As it turns out, an old TV catchphrase summed up the situation perfectly.

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Dwyane Wade’s funny reaction to vehicular woe

It must’ve been a normal day for the Hall-of-Famer Dwyane Wade. He goes to one of the crown jewels of his luxury car collection, which is his newest Mercedes Maybach S580, a birthday gift to himself in 2022. He’s ready to get on with his errands and then he sees it – the flat tire. Like everyone who spends time on social media, ‘The Flash’ let his Instagram followers know first before fixing his situation.

He shared a snap of the flat on his Instagram Stories. He added his personal side-eye Avatar to the post with the line, “Damn Gina.” Sound familiar?

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Damn Gina” remains in pop culture history as one of the most memorable catchphrases on TV, right up there with “How you doin'” and “Live long and prosper.” It originated in the ’90s sitcom, Martin, starring comedic genius Martin Lawrence as the titular character. Tisha Campbell-Martin played Gina, Martin’s wife, who regularly did something to elicit a “Damn Gina” in signature Martin Lawrence-style.

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READ MORE: How Did Shaquille O’Neal’s $155 Million Investment Impact the World of Esports?

It’s an exclamation that would be used time and again in the media. In fact, Khloe Kardashian loves using it a lot. But Wade’s reaction comes a few days after another NBA legend invoked Martin Lawrence. That was a very different situation, though.

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Shaq reacted to his prediction coming true

Shaquille O’Neal had very little confidence in this year’s Team USA roster ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. As he said, the American players struggled and were eliminated from the semi-finals by Germany, who’d eventually go on to win the finals. Though he saw that coming, Shaq was still left reeling.

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He took to his official social media to react after the loss. He added the caption, “Dam Gina.” Those two words from Martin Lawrence certainly fit every situation. Shaq may have even teased coming out of retirement to save Team USA.

After three championships with the Lakers, ‘Big Diesel’ came to Miami Heat to strengthen its roster. Dwyane Wade would recall being star-struck by the 7’1″ star and his influence on the team. Clearly that influence still carries on if Wade couldn’t resist giving a Shaq-response to his dilemma.

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WATCH THIS STORY | Despite Enduring “Sleepless” Nights, Luka Doncic Ends His Disappointing FIBA World Cup Run On A High Note

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Caroline John

3,301 Articles

Caroline John is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports, specializing in league comparables. She holds a master’s degree in Journalism and Communication and brings eight years of experience to the sports desk. Caroline made a mark in NBA media by covering the life of Know more

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Debmallya Chakraborty

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