Recently, ex-majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks made a bold claim about the Miami Heat’s six game victory over Dallas in the 2006 NBA Finals. Now, he’s drawn the ire of Heat legend Dwyane Wade.
“Mark Cuban come out recently and said 2006 was rigged,” Wade exclaimed on the Wy Network, a podcast he hosts. “Mark Cuban and I have probably had one conversation since then. It was a very cool, cordial conversation.”
“I love Mark Cuban from afar; everything that he’s accomplished, everything that he’s done. But Mark, stop saying that! We beat ya’ll, we beat ya’ll.”
Cuban did not definitely say the series was rigged, but he does believe the officials were making biased calls in Miami’s favor. In a recent appearance on the DLLS Mavs Podcast, Cuban called out two of the referees by name.
"Yes, Bennett Salvatore in particular, Jack Nies right behind him." Cuban said. "I'll take that to my grave that the [2006 NBA Finals] were stolen from us."
Wade clapped back at the suggestion of fouls going in the Heat’s favor.
“Did we get some foul calls? Everybody gets foul calls,” Wade said. “We can all go back and point. I can go back and point at one of those series in 2011 where Dirk [Nowitzki] had 48 and he had 24 free throws.”
In the 2011 Finals, the Mavericks beat Miami in six games in a coveted rematch featuring the first year of “The Heatles” (LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Wade).
“Does that mean the refs wanted them to win? I don’t know, but it wasn’t rigged,” Wade added. “We still have to play the game.”
“You had a young guy that was becoming a star in the NBA. Did I get a few whistles? Yeah. Was I the only one attacking the basket every play? Probably so, but you’re not about to tarnish the work that I put in as a young guy to do something that not a lot of young guys have done in this game and say it was rigged!”
With Shaquille O’Neal as his running mate, Wade dominated the 2006 Finals. At 24 years old, Wade averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists along with 2.7 steals. His efforts earned him the Finals MVP award.
“Mark, stop that. Ya’ll got us, we got ya’ll, it’s all love, baby.”
During his 16-year career, Wade became a 13-time All-Star, a three-time champion and an eight-time All-NBA selection.
