Dwyane Wade joins ‘AGT’ as guest judge. And he had a Golden Buzzer moment
Dwyane Wade is used to having his talent judged by others, but he was on the other side in Tuesday night’s episode of “America’s Got Talent.”
The recently retired Heat guard appeared as a guest judge in the Judge Cuts episode of the talent competition. Wade joined his wife Gabrielle Union, who is a judge on the show alongside Julianne Hough, Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell.
“I was excited to join ‘America’s Got Talent’ as a guest judge since I’m such a huge fan of what the show represents,” Wade said. “The show’s ability to change people’s lives was a strong draw and I loved being able to do it with Gab. I was so inspired by everyone’s stories and their amazing talent. I have so much respect for all of the preparation and drive it takes to get on that stage. There is some serious competition and I can’t wait to tune in each week and see what happens.”
At the start of Tuesday’s episode, Wade was introduced to a loud ovation as he walked on stage and to his seat alongside the other judges.
“Well, since I’m now retired, I don’t know if I’m going to get that ovation anymore,” Wade said with a smile after he was introduced on the show. “I want to do that walk out again. I felt like I was in Madison Square Garden right there.”
Contestants were looking for Wade’s approval throughout the show. Magician Dom Chambers even took a second to take in a compliment from Wade after his performance, with Wade saying: “This is the best magic I’ve ever seen. ... It was so cool.”
“Dwyane Wade just called me cool,” an astonished Chambers said on stage.
But V.Unbeatable, a group of dancers from India who impressed with their high-flying act, received the ultimate compliment. Wade pushed the Golden Buzzer for the group of 29 dancers, sending them straight to the live shows.
After hitting the Golden Buzzer, Wade said on the show: “I know the practice time it takes, I know the sacrifice it takes. I have to say that whenever I would hit a big shot, whenever I hit a game-winner, whenever it was one of those moments, I jumped up on the stand and I said, ‘This is my house.’ Today on this stage, this is your house.”
Wade, 37, has split his time mostly between Miami and Los Angeles since his playing career came to an end in April. He played 16 seasons in the NBA and is the Heat’s all-time leader in categories like points, games played, minutes played, assists and steals, and is considered one of the top shooting guards in NBA history.
This story was originally published July 23, 2019 at 10:00 PM.
