It’s been a big year for Dwyane Wade: He became a minority owner of the Utah Jazz, he’s a fixture in TNT’s basketball pre-game shows, and now the future Hall of Famer and NBA Finals MVP is the host of a new game show on TBS called The Cube, which premieres this week on June 10th. The Cube puts teams of two players inside a Plexiglass box, where they are given nine lives to complete seven challenges, each worth more money, with an ultimate prize of $250,000. The contestants aren’t just trying to get rich: In one episode, for example, one duo needs the money in order to renovate a basketball gym for “at-risk youth” in Texas.
Wade sat down with GQ to explain why playing professional sports is great preparation for TV, how he hopes to help more Black people appreciate Utah, and how LeBron James got him to eat fish for the first time.
GQ: How did The Cube get started? People are saying it’s a knock off of a British show, Million Pound Cube.
Dwyane Wade: It did come from the UK! I have my own production company I started when I retired. Throughout the pandemic we were just looking for content that could really bring some joy and togetherness. We saw an opportunity to adapt an amazing game show that’s been successful in the UK, now in its 12th year. We did that. I’m the Executive Producer of it. And, at some point, they were like, “Wait, why don’t you host it?” And I was like, “Mmmm, not really what I wanna do!” But, obviously, I eventually ended up doing it. We’re trying to put our own spin and our own little details in our show.
Why did you put a premium on joy and happiness?
Man, I mean…why not? Right? Life is hard. Life is hard enough. For all of us. Every day you wake up and there are challenges in life that are difficult and everyone faces their own. And so: If life is going to be hard enough, we have to find joy, we have to find happiness within days, minutes, moments and hours. Like you say, man: it’s a premium. It’s a must. If you can’t find joy, if you can’t find happiness, then I don’t need to be around you, or in that space. Because for me, that’s what it’s all about.
Okay, but as a TV host, man? You said you didn’t even really want to be a TV host! So what made you transition to that?
You know what man, Tyler, I don’t…I have no idea, man! It’s like, sometimes you do things just because doors open. Sometimes you walk into it and it is uncomfortable and it’s not something maybe you would’ve thought you would’ve done. But, sometimes you gotta give it a chance, too. Like, I always said I would never eat fish. I thought,“Ew! It’s nasty! I ain’t never eatin’ fish!” And I’m a liar because I eat fish more than anything nowadays.
I was afraid to [host the show] because I didn’t know if I could. I’ve never hosted before. But, I’ve seen Steve Harvey do it, and he’s a comedian, so it seems easy. I’ve seen Wayne Brady do it. I’ve seen all of these people host, and I never thought I’d be one of them. But I found something that would allow me to be myself and then be able to hopefully help communities and families as well.
Wait, man, you ain’t eat fish?!
[Laughs] Bro, I ain’t eat nothin’ but burgers and chicken fingers. And chicken wings and fries. Back in the day everyone had turkey dogs, but I didn’t eat that either. I didn’t eat anything because I wasn’t exposed to anything. I didn’t grow up with anything but, like, catfish, but I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the look of it. So, no. I didn’t eat fish.
So, when did you first eat fish? In the league?
Bro! Yeah! What?! [Laughs] Let’s see: the first time I ate fish, we were at Nobu. LeBron and I were at dinner with friends and he ordered the sea bass. And he was like, “Bro you should try this.” And I said, “Bro, I don’t eat fish.” And he was like, “Bro, but you should try this!” And I tried it, and it wasn’t bad. So, I started with the sea bass from Nobu. Then I kind of graduated and kept going. So, I give my guy credit for being the first one to get me to eat fish.
‘Bron really got you to eat fish?! That’s crazy. Alright, so what’s your favorite fish now? You might have 10 or 20 years of eating fish. You’re a fish expert!
Naww. I don’t even have that long! That was like 2012, when the Big Three were together. My favorite fish is still sea bass. Chef knows that when I need certain meals that kind of pick me up or I’ve had a long day or a long night or whatever, Chef will throw that sea bass on there. I can enjoy red snapper and all the fishes. But I don’t like fishy fish. To me sea bass is the vibe. It’s the perfect fish.
So you’re still hating on catfish?
I’m not a catfish fan, bro.
Damn. Man, a fried catfish will change ya life.
You gotta throw a lot of hot sauce on it, tho! It takes the taste away. You’re just eating grease and hot sauce.
Nah, man. That perfect piece of catfish from New Orleans? Wooo. Wooo!
[Laughs] I don’t know nothin’ bout it, bro!
Man, go to New Orleans, to like Willa Mae’s Scotch House, and get that thang with some lemon! You won’t even need no hot sauce.
Okay! I’m open, I’m open! Next time I’m in New Orleans I’m gonna get some lemon on that catfish.
I guess we should talk about something that ain’t fish. What’s been your preparation for The Cube? How does it differ from NBA games or your TNT hits?
Really, nothing. It’s all the same for me. I prepared to go to TNT studios just like I prepared to go to the arena with the Heat. I’m all about finding a routine and sticking to a routine. The only thing that’s different is when I played basketball I would get over to the arena, stretch, get massages and warm my body up. But I do have a vocal coach, a speech coach that I work with. I do have to warm my voice up. I’m such a product of being an athlete that I can’t not prepare a certain way. That’s all I know.
There’s been a surge in the last decade of athletes creating content from podcasts to talk shows to documentaries. How have you seen this shift happen? Where do you fit into this?
Athletes feel a bit more comfortable with being themselves. We’re great at a sport, but that’s not the only thing we can do. That’s not the only thing we’re interested in. Now the world gets to see that. And I think a lot of people like working with athletes, those that are professional athletes. Because we understand what it takes to be great at a sport. Preparation is a part of it, being on time, never being late, doing my homework, studying. All those things that make you great at a sport, can make you great on TV.
You and Gabrielle Union have been selling a lot of property recently—a house in Sherman Oaks, and another in Florida. Are you pushing to get into real estate? What’s your reasoning?
We decided to move out of Miami and come to LA once my career was over. I have businesses in Miami so I go back and do stuff in the community, but as a family, we’re not always traveling back there. I didn’t want to have a property just sitting in Miami because I’m not really utilizing it. When I bought that house in 2010, I thought I would live in it forever. But life takes you to different places. And you’ve gotta get up and go with it. So for us, that chapter, in that home, is closed. In LA, it was the same thing. I’m just trying to be smart. LA, Atlanta and Utah are my areas where I really focus all of my time.
Some Heat fans could feel like you’ve abandoned Miami. Have you sensed that at all? Especially now with your ownership stake in Utah? It may seem silly, but that’s a part of fandom.
No, it doesn’t seem silly at all. As an athlete, you get it. But, the only thing you can do is live your life and do things for you and your family. And one thing I did for Miami in my 14-and-a-half-year career is give them all I had. They continue to embrace me and my family even though we are not living in that zip code. The love is always there for me, and I think it’s always gonna be there from the fans. We experienced something real together and it’s gonna last all of us a lifetime. I get it, man. But I’m not just one person to stay in one place. I’m a butterfly, man. And I gotta fly. I gotta move. I gotta go. So, this is just the next step in my journey. But, all love to Miami. All love.
What about the Heat, though? You mentioned for a while that you wanted to get into ownership and Micky Arrison said he wanted to give you that chance in Miami, but you went to Utah. Why not the Heat?
My basketball career and my business career are two different things. We had a great relationship from a basketball standpoint. But for me, man, this was the best opportunity. Ryan [Smith, the new owner of the Jazz] and I have been friends for a while. Ryan is 42 years old and I’m 39. He’s in a business and space in tech that I want to one day get in and learn more about. And I know what I can bring to the table from a basketball standpoint and he sees my values. It just was the right fit. I live in LA, man. Utah is an hour and 15 minute flight right over the mountains. Everything was right for this phase in my life. For this part in my life [ownership with the Miami Heat] wasn’t the step I wanted to take.
I haven’t seen many instances when someone plays for an organization or franchise, is great and then goes into ownership. Michael Jordan is not in Chicago. Shaq is not with the Lakers. Grant Hill is not with Atlanta and so on and so forth. So, you know what, once you retire and you aren’t a player anymore, it’s about business. And you have to put yourself in a situation for the best business opportunity for you and your family. And Utah was that for me.
How did the Jazz partnership come to be, then?
It came from my relationship with Ryan. He’s an unbelievable businessman. Me and him just connected from a business standpoint a few years ago. I wanted to know more about the tech world and told him I would love to do some business stuff together one day when I got done playing. Not even knowing he’d be the owner of the Utah Jazz and him not knowing I’d want to be an owner in the NBA. When the opportunity came up for Utah, he had his ownership group and all of it was tight. He reached out and asked if I would be interested in joining. We talked about it for a while. Like I said, at the end of the day it made the most sense to me.
And for our community, a lot of people haven’t been exposed to Utah. We have, like, two percent African Americans in Utah, right? So, there’s beauty in the city and hopefully more doors are opening and more of us can experience it. Hopefully I can shed a different light on the city and this light on our community and we can start bridging the gap. And that’s all it is: a big gap. And it needs to be bridged.
How did your family feel about this move to Utah? What did Ms. Union say?
We talked about it before that decision was made. First of all, Ryan and I had to get comfortable with each other in this space and what it would look like. My wife knew everything, and my kids knew everything, Zaya [One of Wade’s Children] knew everything. And everything that Ryan did, I talked to my family about: these scholarships, about starting EnCircle. I talked to Zaya about that: EnCircle is a safe home for LGBTQ folks. Ryan’s wife started that. I talked to him about everything outside the Utah Jazz: I talked to him about the community, not knowing everything about the Mormon faith, all those things. We did a deep dive. My wife gave me her blessing. She signed off on it. So, I felt good doing it.
How much did Donovan Mitchell play into all of this?
A lot. He played a lot into it. That’s my little brother. I’ve definitely taken a big brother role in his life. To have that relationship with him and to know it’s going to continue, it feels good. It feels right. It’s so cool, man. I get to continue to impart my knowledge of the game to him. He’s already 24 years old and he’s got a lot more growth to do and he’s already a critical player in our league. So, I’m excited about giving back whatever I’ve learned to him so his career will be greater than mine ever was. And that’s the goal, you’ve got to make sure the generations to come are greater. Right? That’s how the game moves forward.
Your love of Donny has made a few people upset, though. Bam Adebayo says you’ve been taking too long to answer his texts now.
[Laughs] Yeahhhh. He got on me hard about that. It’s just jokes. It’s all love. He did text me, and I didn’t text him back and that’s what he was on me about, but I didn’t even look at my texts at that time. It’s tough because I’m a mentor to a lot of guys, a teammate to a lot of guys, but I’m jumping into ownership. I’m gonna keep the relationship with certain guys, but I try not to cross that line. I want those guys to keep our relationship exactly how it was and never look at me as someone who’s in ownership, or someone trying to recruit or trying to do anything. That’s my little brother, Bam. Just like Don. I’m always gonna be there for any information I can pass along in the game of basketball or in business.
You said yourself that there aren’t that many Black people in Salt Lake City. We’ve recently seen these racist fan reactions coming from places like Philly, New York, Boston and Salt Lake. Ja Morant called what happened to his family when the Grizzlies played the Jazz in the first round of the playoffs “inappropriate shit.” What do you make of the last three years of public dissension at NBA games, which dates back to an altercation between Russell Westbrook and a Utah fan in 2019?
Every arena has a small group of people who get a little bit unruly, who get a little bit too much into the game. It is in every arena. And I’ve played in every arena, so I know it’s in every arena. It’s unfortunate, man. Basketball is different without fans, and now that fans are back in the building, it feels like basketball again. And we’re having these situations in different arenas. It shows you that a lot of people are coming out of caged-up situations. Been in the house, been locked away. People gotta get the rules again. You gotta get back to how life should work. And a lot of people are crossing that line. And it’s unfortunate.
When I was a player, fans said stuff to me and I said stuff back to them. Let’s keep it like that. But it’s getting to a place where….throwing stuff on people? It’s getting unruly. You can talk back and forth, that’s a part of the game. Talk to people on the sidelines, talk to other teams. But when you start doing stuff like throwing things at guys, that’s when the disrespect really comes in. The NBA has to continue to do a good job, if they can, in making sure this is a secure place for the players and the fans as well.
What can the league do better, though? A few years ago I talked to the head of security for the NBA and the head of the Players Union, Michelle Roberts, about solutions for this and it feels like unless they move the seats back, the players are in an unwinnable situation.
There’s not a solution for everything in life. Sometimes, you gotta react. The NBA has shown how progressive it is and how much it cares. But, when it comes to the fans, you either play with them in the building or you don’t. Right? The rules are that you can’t stop anybody from throwing popcorn. The only thing you can do is ban them from doing it. But, you know, what else is it? You gonna take the fans out? You gonna let a player run up there and handle they own? They are not gonna do that. It’s on people to be fans, enjoy the game, enjoy the entertainment. It’s a concert. It’s a show.
It feels like a lot of fans think, because they’ve purchased a ticket, that it gives them a sense of ownership over the players and the league, especially with this being such a black league. Fred VanVleet told me that sometimes it feels like he’s an animal in a zoo with the way fans act. You said you experienced this as a player, is there one of those instances you can remember?
You know what, man? That’s life. That’s not just basketball. That’s anybody. Someone follows you on social media, somebody buys something that you put out. If you run into them, they feel like you are supposed to know them because they support you. You have crazy fans out here, you have people trying to break into homes because they follow someone. It’s not just inside the basketball arena. There are moments where we all feel it, especially in our community. You feel like you are watched, you feel like you’re in a cage. There are definitely arenas where you feel that.
But I try not to look at it that way. I’ve never gotten into a fight with a fan, I just got into verbal things and it’s things I said that I didn’t want my family to hear. But that’s life. We gotta strap our big boy pants on and we gotta go out there and continue to do our job. Every fan is not gonna love you. Every person is not gonna love you. Every person is not gonna cheer and shut up. You gotta understand that everyone is imperfect and everyone is gonna do dumb things. So, you can’t control it. It’s a part of life and it’s not just in the arena. It’s everywhere.
In terms of these playoffs, who’s impressed you the most and what should we expect in the second round?
You know what I’m impressed by? I’m impressed by this next generation of players moving on in. If you look around at the teams that’s left: you look at Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, Giannis, all these guys who are 25 and under, Trae Young too and so on and so on. I’m impressed by this next generation coming in and saying we’re here and we ain’t going nowhere. And they are young and doin’ it, man. Even Jayson Taytum in Boston. It’s amazing.