The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris gave us everything. Star-studded lineups, clutch moments, and games that’ll live in highlight reels for years to come. The U.S. men’s basketball team snatched the gold (again) and added another chapter to their legendary Olympic history. But what made this tournament extra special wasn’t just the medals or the buzzer-beaters. It was 2008 Olympic gold medalist Dwyane Wade on the mic as an analyst, and Noah Eagle will be on play-by-play. This duo’s chemistry and inside stories made every game feel special. And recently, Noah dropped a story about Wade’s arrival that perfectly captured the Hall of Famer’s signature style and swagger.

Dwyane Wade wears a lot of hats besides basketball. He’s a sharp entrepreneur, a business mogul, a podcast host, and above all, a certified fashion icon. Wade came up during a very specific era in NBA style history. “The era I came up in was the big baggy clothes era, and Allen Iverson was the idol of my generation.” So, it’s no surprise his style would one day shake up an Olympic broadcast setup. On a recent episode of the Awful Announcing podcast, Noah Eagle took a little stroll down memory lane, recalling the moment he first welcomed Dwyane Wade into the Olympic commentary booth.

“You know Dwyane Wade is as big a name as they come in basketball circles, especially internationally,” Noah said. To back it up, he pointed out, “Because he’s so big in China with his shoe deal. And so it’s a guy with 20 million (19.8M to be exact) Instagram followers and a superstar actress wife, and he’s just you know the GQ vibe.” With a massive following in China thanks to his shoe deal and nearly 20 million Instagram followers, Wade’s not exactly a guy you say no to. And that became clear the moment wardrobe details came up.

At he very first  call, Wade’s team asked Noah and the crew about the “wardrobe situation,” Noah’s team explained, “Everybody’s going to have Ralph Lauren stuff that we’re getting specially made for the Olympics and there’s going to be a tailor there so we can get it specially tailored to his size, and etc.” Seemed simple enough, until Wade’s people tossed out a curveball.

“Well, what if Dwyane wanted to wear something a little bit more unique to him?” Politely, the team had to turn it down as recalled by Noah. “Unfortunately, it kind of has to be part of the kit,” they replied. And without missing a beat, Wade just grinned and said, “Oh, no problem, I’ll call Ralph.” Because, of course, he would. That’s Dwyane Wade. Noah admitted he was stunned, unsure if Wade was serious about picking up the phone to call a ₹1.378 trillion brand directly.

He asked, and Wade casually confirmed it with a simple “Yeah.” This classic move made Noah laugh and wonder, “What kind of guy is this?” Well, now we know. But how is this story unique? The NBC probably has never gone this extra mile to accommodate anyone. Typically, NBC would provide only basic guidelines and accept the final design without much input, but Wade’s direct engagement set a new precedent, that too on the biggest stage, the Olympics.

Wade’s the type who makes sure his drip is Olympic-level, even if it means bending the broadcast rules before the cameras even roll. And if you’ve followed Wade off the court, this won’t surprise you. Remember when he and his ultra-stylish wife, Gabrielle Union, turned New York City into their runway while promoting The Redeem Team on Netflix? Yeah, disrupting dress codes is kind of his thing.

Dwyane Wade and Gab turned heads in NYC while promoting his role in Netflix’s The Redeem Team documentary

In 2022, this power couple hit the streets promoting Wade’s Netflix documentary “The Redeem Team”. And if truth be told, his wardrobe was working overtime. In one day, Dwyane Wade went from a bold-shouldered Prada leather trench to a pumpkin spice Zegna, and that wasn’t even the half of it. The very next day, Wade ditched the layers for a slouchy Acne cargo look paired with Cass x Prada sneakers.

Later, he cleaned up in a sharp Dzojchen suit, throwing in a little gold choker from Wempe Jewelers because, why not? It wasn’t just about flexing designer labels, though. Turns out, this style streak was a modern-day tribute to his 2008 Olympic squad. Which was the focus of the Netflix doc, and how NBA menswear’s evolved since those baggy-suit days.

Wade’s stylist, Jason Bolden, dropped the inside scoop on Instagram back then. “The goal was to play off how the team used to dress,” he told GQ. “We thinned things out but kept relaxed coats and jackets over everything.” It’s a full-circle moment. From oversized ’90s fits to the tailored-meets-casual vibe of today, Wade’s looks nailed that balance without trying too hard.