'America's Got Talent': Dwyane Wade Hands Golden Buzzer to Dance Crew V. Unbeatable

America's Got Talent was a family affair during the second round judge cuts, thanks to guest judge [...]

By Jose Bastidas

America's Got Talent was a family affair during the second round judge cuts, thanks to guest judge Dwyane Wade. Husband of judge Gabrielle Union, the retired NBA star's appearance was met with excitement from viewers. Wade wowed viewers during the episode when he awarded his golden buzzer to V. Unbeatable.

Wade was introduced at the start of the episode, and he quickly clicked with the audiences and the other judges, giving his wife a quick kiss before taking his seat.

"Since I just retired and I don't know if I'm going to get that ovation no more, I want to do that walkout again. I felt like I was just at Madison Square Garden right there," Wade said after the crowds welcomed him with roaring applause.

Host Terry Crews then asked him about sitting at the judges panel alongside wife Gabrielle Union and whether she had given him any tips.

"You know her," he said, joking she gave him no advice. "I'm very excited. I've been watching the show for some many years on my couch, so to be here as a judge. I'm excited. I'm just happy to be here."

The retired basketball player seemed impressed with many of the night's acts, and he even took the stage during a break to hype up the audience. When it came time for stunt and dance crew V. Unbeatable to take the stage, the group from India shocked everyone.

The group's story also touched Wade, as the group shared they perform in honor of a young boy named Vikas, who passed away after one of the group's dangerous stunts went wrong six years ago.

After the performance, the judges and the audience gave the group a standing ovation, before Wade gave the group the big Golden Buzzer honor.

"My heart is beating at a rapid pace that I haven't felt before," Wade said before hitting the Golden Buzzer. "As a former athlete there's... 29 on the stage. I know the practice time it takes... I have this thing that whenever I hit a game winner, I'd jump up on the stand and say 'this is my house,' and today, on this stage. This is y'all's house."

The prize sends the dance crew to the live shows. Fans of the talent competition series took to Twitter to celebrate Wade's decision.

Wade and Union spoke with USA Today ahead of the episode where he admitted the judging gig had him feeling some nerves before taking his seat.

"I don't get nervous at basketball games. I don't get nervous shooting game winners, but I was a little nervous coming in," he said. But "once we got going, it just became like a conversation, so my nerves went out the window."

Union said that while she was ready to give her husband advice, she found he was ready for the exciting gig.

"He watched film on everybody. He knew things about the judges and contestants that I had no idea (about). He was ready," Union told the outlet.

America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

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