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Waffle House hero surprised by NBA star Dwyane Wade on ‘Ellen’

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

The man praised as a hero for wrestling the gun away from a shooter at a Waffle House in Tennessee last month was surprised by a visit from his favorite basketball player, Dwyane Wade, during an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

James Shaw Jr. appeared on Wednesday’s episode of the show and said his two favorite things in the world were his 4-year-old daughter and basketball.

Shaw said in a clip released Wednesday that Wade, who plays for the Miami Heat, is his favorite player. 

“I like the way he carries himself off the court,” Shaw said. 

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DeGeneres then surprised Shaw by bringing out the NBA star.

“Let’s see how he carries himself out here,’ DeGeneres said.

DeGeneres said that Wade “dropped everything” to fly out for the last-minute appearance.

Shaw, 29, sustained a gunshot wound and burns when he grabbed the assault-style rifle from a gunman who opened fire at the Nashville-area restaurant last month.

Four people were killed in the attack and several others were injured. 

Since then, Shaw has raised more than $183,000 for the victims and their families. 

“I know you don’t want to be called a hero but I look at you as an American hero,” Wade said.

Wade praised Shaw’s bravery and said he would tell his kids to look up Shaw when discussing role models.

After Shaw told the three-time NBA champion that he wanted to raise awareness for mental health issues in the United States, Wade presented Shaw with a $20,000 check to help him with his cause.

“I knew Ellen was doing something. I couldn’t be outdone,” Wade said. “I wanted to make sure I matched it as well.”

Wade has previously donated to the fight for gun control following the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Fla.

He donated $200,000 to the “March for Our Lives” rally in March.

One of the victims of the massacre, 17-year-old Joaquin Oliver, was buried in Wade’s jersey.

The White House has also praised Shaw’s actions and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday that they were trying to arrange a meeting between Shaw and President Trump.

Tags Donald Trump nashville NBA Tennessee The Ellen DeGeneres Show Waffle House shooting

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