Dwyane Wade Opens Up About 'The Cube' And Struggles With Being Game Show Host

Dwyane Wade is talking about his life as a hit game show host.

The 40-year-old family man ventured into the entertainment world after he retired from playing in the National Basketball Association in 2019. Interestingly, Wade seems to be flourishing in his new role as a game show host, even though he has not done it for very long.

Shortly after it got the nod for a second season, Dwyane Wade opened up about his hosting duties on the TBS game show, "The Cube." The British game show, brought to America by TBS, focuses on challenging contestants with mental and physical tasks which they must sort while confined in a cube. Any contestant who can finish all tasks while in confinement gets to walk away with the $250,000 prize. 

Aside from hosting "The Cube," Wade also has executive producer rights, all of which have been supported by his wife and actress Gabrielle Union. Speaking with Business Traveler about his foray into the entertainment scene, the 40-year-old said:

"Being a host is one of my favorite roles. "I love hosting dinners in the backyard. My wife is the exact same way. So when it comes to The Cube, I'm just bringing people into my home, which is the stage. And I'm getting to know them over a game, just like I would over a dinner."

Wade added that he did his job as a game show host but as someone who had to "bring out the excitement of this game" while exciting and connecting with contestants. As somebody who grew up in Chicago, the father-of-four had time to watch game shows like "Jeopardy!," "Double Dare," Supermarket, and his personal favorite, "The Bozo Show."

Wade recounted watching kids scramble to win money by successfully dropping a ping pong ball into six buckets every morning before heading to school. That was the beginning of his dream to host a game show. Despite his big dream and its outcome, SI pointed out that the three-time NBA champion was hesitant about accepting frontman duties for "The Cube."

His hesitation might have had to do with the amount of preparation he had to do to prepare for this new path. The former Miami Heat shooting guard had to work with a hosting coach and a voice coach and trained for over a month to equip himself for the assignment. Wade told the sports outlet:

"Bro, I had all the hesitation. It was a whole new type of anxiety and nervousness. But ultimately, when the contestants came out, that's when I was comfortable, talking to people and getting to have conversations with people I never would otherwise."

Luckily all his hard work paid off, and he has gone on to build lasting relationships with some show contestants,  chatting with them occasionally on social media.

The month of August ended with Wade and Union celebrating a significant milestone in their marriage. The Blast shared that the duo marked their eighth wedding anniversary, causing Wade to post a sweet video montage of some of their most significant moments over the years.

The clip included media from their wedding day, vacation getaways, red carpet events, and even the day they welcomed their daughter, Kaavia James Union Wade. While the content was great to look at, what brought tears to people's eyes was the voice of the "Bring It On" actress reading her vows on their wedding day in the background.

After promising "to love without condition, to laugh with you, and wipe your tears," Union told her beau that she would be by his side "through every twist and turn." Wade's voice soon took over and described love as "waking up to your [Union] smile." Union had even more things to say to her husband as she wrote in the caption:

"It's been 8 years now married to my best friend, and a lifetime to go. There have been tears and tantrums, triumphs and tremendous gratitude of our love. I love your evolution and your readiness to look at yourself FIRST before pointing any fingers."

After noting how the 13-time NBA All-Star could "throw caution to the wind" and lead their family without remorse, Union prayed for a journey "filled with joy and laughter and compassion and grace." The emotional post has received well over two million plays and 200k likes.