In 2006, the Dallas Mavericks faced a crushing defeat at the hands of the Miami Heat, losing four consecutive games after initially leading the series 2-0. Both teams were vying for their franchise’s first ever NBA championship. But alas, it was Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade who took the laurels. Following this, fans witnessed a beef quietly brewing between the two franchises and their cornerstone players.

Now, almost 17 years after the rivalry, the co-members of the 2023 Hall of Fame class opened up about their heated history. Just as assumed, the first episode of D-Wade’s new podcast, “The Why” brought together Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, and the 3x champion’s long-time basketball rival, Dirk Nowitzki.

Dirk Nowitzki reveals the real rivalry from his NBA days

The Mavericks’ 2006 defeat was marred by fouls, turnovers, and overall disappointment, leaving the team and owner Mark Cuban visibly upset. Doubts on officiating further fueled the frustration. Dirk Nowitzki’s 17-year-old comment of giving the ‘Championship to Miami’ didn’t sit well with Dwyane Wade either, causing an awkward and silent war between the two.

The duo never spoke about that incident until this podcast. That made it the perfect opportunity for the legends to revisit the events and shed light on the longstanding beef. When questioned about it by D-Wade, Dirk Nowitzki blurted out, “Well, there wasn’t a lot of love there,” after which they started to laugh.

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“I think there were just things said on both sides that weren’t appreciated. I think you took offense when I said we kinda gave them [Miami] the championship. Which I probably would have taken offense too, because [you] worked extremely hard. You played your butt off and carried them,” admitted the German legend. Dwyane Wade also agreed that he wasn’t quiet either and “came out swinging in the media.”

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The 14x All-Star added, “There can’t always be friendships during the highest level of competition. I’m old school, I always wanted to win. There was no love lost there.” Nowitzki also recalled the 2007 NBA All-Star Game, during which the Mavs and Heat legends avoided shaking each other’s hands.

Certainly, this is one of the longest and biggest beefs in the league. The bad blood continued until Nowitzki beat Wade and the Miami Heat in game 6 in 2011 to clinch the first championship for his Mavericks. 

Dwyane Wade’s response to Nowitzki’s comment 

Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to their first-ever NBA championship title that year. However, back in 2006, the 13x All-Star wasn’t quiet in response to Dirk’s comments either. “Dirk says they gave us the championship last year, but he’s the reason they lost the championship because he wasn’t the leader that he’s supposed to be in the closing moments,” retorted D-Wade 17 years ago.

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Mavericks’ owner Cuban took offense to the Flash‘s comment and clapped back with his opinion that appeared to have questioned the player’s “ability to evaluate leadership skills.” Despite all those intense moments of beef, the duo were heard sharing their honest opinion on the show.

As highlighted by the 2011 NBA Finals MVP, along with heartwarming friendships, there are also some intriguing rivalries. That is what makes the NBA so fascinating.

What is your take on this iconic rivalry? Did you know about Nowitzki and Wade’s 2006 comments?