LeBron James and Dwyane Wade mocking Dirk Nowitzki over a decade ago was an ultimate “videos taken seconds before disaster” moment. Now Nowitzki is revealing that he never forgot about the slight.
In an interview this week with Yahoo! Sports, the retired Dallas Mavericks legend called out James and Wade for the time they dissed him during the 2011 NBA Finals, describing it as “disrespectful.”
“We saw it after Game 5, but I didn’t see it,” said Nowitzki. “Honestly, I felt it was a little disrespectful.”
“It didn’t add to my motivation [though], if that makes sense,” the future Hall of Famer added. “I’m one game away from achieving my dreams, one I’ve chased 12 years into the league.”
You may recall the infamous video where James and Wade, then teammates on the Miami Heat, jokingly coughed before Game 5 of the Finals that year. It was a clear shot at Nowitzki, who battled flu-like symptoms during Game 4. Nowitzki ended up getting the last laugh however, as the Mavs topped the Heat in Game 5 in Dallas and then in Game 6 in Miami to win the NBA title.
Having been rightfully humbled that season, James and Wade bounced back to win back-to-back titles for the Heat in the next two seasons. Meanwhile, Nowitzki’s ring in 2011 was what legitimized his legacy as an all-time great in the NBA. As such, maybe it all worked out well for everybody involved.
Photo: Nov 22, 2019; Dallas, TX, USA; Former Dallas Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki smiles to the crowd during the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
