“You’re damn right”: Dwyane Wade has no regret for getting ‘superstar calls’ in 06 finals vs Dirk’s Mavericks
In 2006, Dwyane Wade led the Miami Heat all the way to a title victory. Some have tried to discredit his performance, but he is unapologetic for being treated like a star.
Dwyane Wade, like many other stars in the NBA, benefited from getting "superstar calls." The result of this was him getting to the line more often than some of his other counterparts.
Wade recently joined "The Crossover" podcast to discuss Miami's 2006 finals win over the Dallas Mavericks. When the topic of superstar treatment came up, he was quick to shut down that narrative. Wade feels that the calls he got in that series were no different than what other were getting.
"I think that’s lazy for people to say 'he shot a lot of free throws.' That’s lazy," Wade said. "It’s a way to discredit you…Everyone wants to make excuses for something."
"So the excuse they pulled out for me [in the 06 Finals] is 'Oh, he shot a lot of free throws.' Well, why? Because of my attack. I attacked with that much force, and I attacked in angles… Did I get a couple 'superstar calls?' You’re damn right. All superstars get ‘em."
How did Dwyane Wade perform in the 2006 finals?
Dwyane Wade has played in a lot of playoff series in his career, but the 2006 NBA Finals might be his top performance. He did it all for the Miami Heat en route to taking down the Dallas Mavericks.
Across six games, Wade averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists. This impressive performance landed him Finals MVP.
Wade's main competitor in this series was Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki. The Hall of Fame forward averaged 22.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in a losing effort.
Following this series, Wade solidified himself as a superstar in the league. In just his third season, he was able to carry his team to a championship. On top of that, he put together a dominant showing on the game's biggest stage.
Wade would go on to win two more championships alongside LeBron James, but none of his performance will ever match the 06' finals.