Dwyane Wade Claps Back at Billionaire Mark Cuban’s ‘Rigged’ 2006 Finals Claims

Dwyane Wade defends the Heat's 2006 NBA title after Mark Cuban's controversial comments claiming the Finals were "stolen" from the Mavericks.

Dwyane Wade Claps Back at Billionaire Mark Cuban’s ‘Rigged’ 2006 Finals Claims

Dwyane Wade and Mark Cuban (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Dwyane Wade defended the integrity of the 2006 NBA Finals against Mark Cuban's claims of it being rigged.
  • Wade averaged 34.7 points per game during the Finals, earning his first and only Finals MVP award.
  • The Miami Heat are currently struggling in the Eastern Conference, linked to potential trades for stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant.

The 2006 NBA Finals was the turning point of Dwyane Wade‘s career. The Dallas Mavericks were the favorites heading into the finals. But the Miami Heat led by Wade and head coach Pat Riley had other ideas as they took out the Mavericks in six games with the series decider taking place in Dallas.

Both franchises were hunting for their first NBA championship and delivered one of the most memorable heavyweight battles from the early 2000s. It was the first Finals since 1978 where neither team had previously won an NBA title.

Dwyane Wade put in one of the greatest NBA Finals performances in history. Wade had averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.7 steals and one block in six games. His performances earned him his first and lone Finals MVP award.

Drafted as the number five pick in the 2003 NBA draft, Wade is widely regarded as one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history. He spent the majority of his 16-year career with the Heat and has helped them win three championships. He is also Miami’s all-time leader in points, games played, assists and steals.

Mark Cuban is the former principal owner and current minority owner of the Mavs. Even though Cuban sold his majority stake in the Mavs for $3.5 billion three years ago, he may be tempted to regain control considering everything that has been happening with the club both on and off the court over the last year.

At the end of every NBA season, one team holds the trophy while the rest go home empty-handed. It is natural for the finalists to start looking for explanations that go beyond the game. It is a way of coping with the heartbreak.

But it looks like Cuban has still not gotten over the 2006 Finals loss to the Heat. He had gone as far as claiming that it was rigged in favor of the Heat. However, Wade shut down Cuban’s rigged claims in an episode of “The Timeout”.

Mark stop saying that. We beat yall. Did we get some foul calls? Everybody gets foul calls. I can go back and point to 2011 when one of them series Dirk had 48. He had 24 free throws, it wasn’t rigged we still had to play the game. Did I get a few whistles? Yes but was I the only one attacking the basket every play? They were fouling let’s not act like this. You’re not about to tarnish the work I put in as a young guy.

Cuban was able to get his revenge when the Mavs beat the Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. The Heat were heavy favorites as they had LeBron James alongside Wade, but it was the Mavs who came out on top in six games.

Pat Riley defied Mark Cuban’s champagne ban after game six of the 2006 Finals

Pat Riley, often referred to as “the Godfather”, is regarded by many as one of the greatest NBA figures of all time. The Heat joined the league in the 1988–89 season, but they did not rise to prominence until they hired Riley to be their head coach and president before the 1995–96 season.

With the Heat leading 3-2 heading into game six in Dallas, former Heat player Jason Williams said on the Hoopin’ N Hollerin’ Podcast that both teams’ focus was on the game at hand, but Cuban made an interesting request to Riley, if the Heat did win the series.

Anybody after the game I saw dry, idc if it was your mom, dad, if I didn’t know ya you were getting something poured on your head that night. Cuban told Riley ‘don’t bring no bottles in the building that night’. He didn’t want us to f*ck up the locker room. So what does Riley do? He brought the whole bar and 2 more. He trippin. I wish I could’ve seen Cuban that night. He would’ve got poured on.

Despite Cuban’s request, Riley did not seem to care and went on with the celebrations.

Dwyane Wade calls Pat Riley a “whale hunter”

While Riley will go down as the greatest figure ever for the Heat, both as a coach and executive, Wade will be regarded as the greatest franchise player. 

With the Heat struggling after the departure of Jimmy Butler, they currently find themselves in the play-in spots in the Eastern Conference standings. The club have been linked to former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant. However, no trade materialized at the trade deadline last week.

Wade believes that Riley will do what’s best for the Heat to pull the trigger for whoever the big star is available.

Pat Riley and Dwyane Wade
Pat Riley and Dwyane Wade (Image credits – The Sporting News)

I’m a fan [of Ja Morant], and I have nothing to do with the organization and their decisions, obviously. I want to win. It’s two teams I want to win, it’s either I want the Jazz to win or I want the Heat to win. Everybody else, have fun. The Heat is one of the teams I want to win because my basketball legacy is there. Pat Riley is a whale hunter. Whatever the whale hunter wants to do, he’s going to do it.

The Heat are going through a rough phase lately. With Riley and Butler having a fallout, the forward was traded to the Golden State Warriors in the middle of last season. With no big stars within the roster, it is difficult for the Heat to make any noise in a wide-open Eastern Conference.

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