In a revealing conversation during the premiere episode of “The Why with Dwyane Wade,” a co-production of iHeartPodcasts and Wade’s 59th & Prairie Entertainment, NBA legends Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki revisited the animosity that unfolded after the 2006 NBA Finals.
Addressing the tensions, Dirk Nowitzki acknowledged, “Well, there wasn’t a lot of love there.” He pointed out that both sides made statements that weren’t appreciated, particularly Wade taking offense when Nowitzki suggested they had “kinda given them [Miami] the championship.” Nowitzki recognized Wade’s hard work and effort during the Finals.
In response, Wade admitted, “I came back swinging in the media.” This acknowledgment sheds light on the public exchange of words between the two stars during the aftermath of the Finals.
Reflecting on an incident from the following year, Nowitzki recalled a reporter informing him of Wade’s comments, stating that he wasn’t a finisher or a leader. Nowitzki expressed his lack of appreciation for those remarks, emphasizing the lingering impact of such statements even months later.
Nowitzki concluded with a broader perspective, acknowledging that almost 20 years later, both sides were dissatisfied with how the events unfolded. He recognized the challenges of fostering friendships at the highest level of competition.
“I remember in the next year, I’ve already moved on obviously and some reporter comes up to me and says ‘Hey did you see what Dwyane said?’ And I was like ‘What?’ this was months later. He [the reporter] was like ‘Yeah, you weren’t a finisher, you weren’t a leader,’” Nowitzki recalled.
“And I was like ‘Wow, that came out of nowhere.’ So I didn’t appreciate that of course but now almost 20 years later, I see where both sides were just not happy with how the whole thing went down. But I say this all the time. There can’t always be friendships at the highest level of competition.”
Additionally, Nowitzki and Wade shared insights on their memorable encounter at the 2007 NBA All-Star Game in Vegas, recalling that they were the first two All-Stars on record not to shake hands pre-game, highlighting the enduring impact of media narratives on player relationships.
“I remember in ‘07, the All Star game was in Vegas and I think we were the first two All Stars ever on record to not shake hands pre-game. So there was definitely some cold times,” Nowitzki said.
“And mind you, we’ve never had a conversation up to this point. We’ve never talked. It shows you the power of the media,” Wade replied.
