“In the Basketball World, It’s Like 4′10””: Dwyane Wade Surprises Everyone by Joining Sabrina Carpenter and Quinta Brunson on SNL

Raahib Singh | 04/05/2025
Sabrina Carpenter and Dwyane Wade

Ever since he retired from the NBA, Dwyane Wade has been keeping himself busy, spending time with his family, and, as the kids call it, doing various side missions. His latest side mission saw him make his way to Manhattan, on the sets of Saturday Night Live.

​In a delightful twist on SNL’s 50th season, Wade surprised the audience by joining host Quinta Brunson and pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter during the show’s opening monologue. Brunson’s monologue was a comical musical number, celebrating the experiences of short individuals, and Wade added a unique NBA perspective to it.

Brunson, standing at 4’11”, kicked the segment off with a showtune-style song talking about the challenges of being short. As she gave examples of short icons such as Simone Biles and Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter joined her. The two exchanged some witty banter about their experiences of being short. “When you eat short rib, does it just taste like rib? When you read short stories, do they feel like novels?

SNL cast member Marcello Hernandez, being 5’6″, added a twist when he joined them on stage. He joked about how, standing next to them, he feels tall. However, it was Dwyane Wade who was the final surprise of the act. Standing tall at 6’4″, no one expected Wade to be joining a monologue about short people. “I really love being short,” Wade said, joining them on stage. Brunson asked Wade, “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I was just in the audience watching SNL, and I heard your song about being short, and I felt seen,” Wade replied. Brunson hit back at Wade, reminding him of how tall he is, “But you’re tall, you’re 6’4″.”

“Yeah, but I’m 6’4″, and in the basketball world, it’s like 4’10”, and Shaq’s like 7’1″,” Wade explained. “I just really want to be in a song.”

 

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Wade’s surprise appearance, combined with his earnest participation in the choreography, showcased his versatility and willingness to engage in self-deprecating humor. It was quite the experience to watch The Flash showcase his skills on the SNL stage, maybe hinting at a possible future of hosting it in the future.

Wade had a blast at SNL

While his appearance on SNL looked like it was a surprise, Wade shared BTS on his Instagram stories that showed how excited he was to be there. In one of his stories, he shared how Quinta Brunson called, and he obliged.

“@quintab called and the rest is history! Thank you for this cool a** experience my friend,” Wade wrote on his story.

Wade was ecstatic to be on the SNL stage. In one of his stories, he was seen saying, “Y’all know what stage this is,” while showing the SNL stage in his background. In another video, he shared the BTS of the choreography and the practice before the broadcast.

Wade also uploaded a video of him practicing the moves with Sabrina Carpenter backstage.

Last night’s SNL was a great time, with Quinta Brunson hosting the experience. Adding Dwyane Wade for his little bit was just the cherry on top of the cake.

Post Edited By: Raahib Singh

About the author

Raahib Singh

Raahib Singh

Raahib Singh is an NBA Journalist and Content Strategist at The SportsRush. A Computer Science Engineer by qualification, Raahib's passion for sports drew him towards TSR. He started playing basketball at 14 and has been following the NBA since 2013. His entry into the basketball world perfectly coincided with Stephen Curry putting the league on notice. Having followed the league for a long time, he decided to use his knowledge to become a sportswriter with The SportsRush in 2020. Raahib loves to put up some shots in his spare time, watch Cricket, Formula 1, and/or read a nice thriller.