D-Wade, the musical actor? We came close to a decade ago. Dwyane Wade made an appearance on a cult-popular show under the biggest studio catering to kids and stole the spotlight. But not in the way a Jonas Brother would do. The three-time NBA champion laid his musical skills bare on the show and it’s all thanks to his kids. However, they’re probably not asking for an encore after watching his performance.
Young viewers back then had to watch the NBA star between their fingers as he tried his hardest to keep up with a veteran. Though he was giving off secondhand embarrassment, we can still enjoy this side of The Flash.
Dwyane Wade dived into Disney
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It’s almost a criminal that it’s not talked about enough, but Dwyane Wade probably prefers it that way. In 2014, the then-NBA pro tested out his heartthrob rizz with an appearance on Austin & Ally. His little song-and-dance jig with Austin has resurfaced now as a refresher.
“‘What We’re About’ one of my faaavorite performances and… who remembers about Dwyane Wade (Dez’s cousin)?” captioned the Instagram post of a scene from the show. The episode was titled, ‘Fanatics & Favors’ because of Wade’s character.
Dez, played by Calum Worthy, has a distant relative with no physical resemblance played by none other than Dwyane Wade. Dez’s cousin happens to be an NBA player who is also named Dwyane. He’s a major Austin Moon fan and wants to perform with him live in a concert. His audition goes poorly but he ends up performing with his idol anyway which is the clip in the post.
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Wade’s only bars of “nanana” with Austin are hilariously offkey and his singing skills were subjected to jokes after the episode aired. It may have been a stylistic choice to fit the offbeat character, but Dwyane rolled with it.
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He was at the prime of his NBA career in 2014. So, no one expected D-Wade to turn into a Disney Darling. However, he had a heartwarming reason to make debut with the House of Mouse.
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Dwyane Wade’s kids pushed him to Disney
Wade was recently an unpaid intern for Versace, so collaborating with billion-dollar houses is nothing new to him. A decade ago, the Miami Heat star had won back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. He was the most recognizable NBA star in his prime. What made him switch careers to musical acting on a Disney sitcom? The very fans in his house.
Commemorating his appearance on the show, he shared pictures with the main cast and explained how it happened on his official social media. “My kids love Austin & Ally, so it was a real treat to make a guest appearance this year,” he wrote in an annual roundup. Back then, Wade was raising Zaire and Zaya, had welcomed his younger son Xavier, and had married Gabrielle Union.
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Though he was teased for it, Wade’s crazy fanboy role and offbeat performance are special because of his kids. And fans enjoyed the surprise anyway. What do you think about this Disney debutant?