It is Dwyane Wade‘s third appearance at the Olympics. Only this time, he debuts as the NBC commentator for the basketball game. For someone on the first day of the job, Wade fared exceptionally well, trending on X under sports. But what was really captivating for the 3x champion in the new role? Watching basketball excellence in the French rookie, Victor Wembanyama, after only being on the other side of the court previously.

The 19-year-old made quite the impression even before the game started. He arrived on the court an hour early, alone, and began his warm-up routine. Just minutes after the France vs. Brazil game, 13× NBA All-Star Wade took to Instagram to share a video of Wembanyama warming up. The 7-foot NBA star was practicing long-range scoring as the crowd in the background cheered with every shot. In awe of the young talent, Wade captioned in his Instagram story, “My first time seeing Wemby in person. He’s like THAT!”

Moreover, Dwyane Wade’s admiration didn’t stop there. During the game, he continued to laud Wemby’s skills from the commentary box. “I mean, this guy is electrifying, and that’s not even a big enough word for what he brings,” Wade said after the first half. He further pointed out that what sets Wemby apart is his patience. Wade noted, “t’s the patience of this player and the patience to make sure that his teammates get involved and get into the game first. And he did the little things early to get himself going, and then he took off.”

And take off he did. The Spurs rookie did not disappoint, living up to the high expectations. In his Olympic debut, he scored 19 points with an impressive field goal percentage of 53%. The crowd went wild when he recreated the famous dunk from Michael Jordan’s ‘Space Jam’ movie.

Dwyane Wade’s first game as a commentator was memorable, not just for his stellar performance in the booth but for witnessing the emergence of a new basketball phenomenon.

Victor Wembanyama’s stellar debut propels France to victory in the Olympic opener

Leading up to the Olympics, Victor Wembanyama and Team France faced a series of challenges in their exhibition matches. Despite an assuring start with back-to-back wins in the exhibition games, the team stumbled and entered the Olympics on a four-game losing streak. Now this seems to make their Olympic journey only more compelling.

In a press conference, Wembanyama highlighted what sets France apart from other teams. “The will to do. I’ve never seen so much of it before in other teams,” he said. “Our confidence is still very high. We know the road is not going to be smooth. There will be difficulties.”

However, the opening match against Brazil initially seemed bleak. Brazil surged to a 27-15 lead with under 9 minutes to go in the second quarter. But that was when the debutant, Wembanyama, took charge. He shouldered the responsibility, leading France to a 39-36 halftime lead. From that point on, France never trailed in the second half, showcasing Wemby’s influence on the game.

Wembanyama’s performance was stellar, leading the host nation with 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 4 steals in their 78-66 victory. French veteran Nicolas Batum also contributed significantly, scoring 19 points.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.