Jan 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Mark Cuban looks on during the second quarter between the Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

NBA Fans Notice Legend’s Subtle Response to Mark Cuban’s Comments

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 2:24 PM ET

The NBA legend Dwyane Wade is aware of Mark Cuban’s recent comments regarding the 2006 NBA Finals.

It doesn’t come as a surprise, because the viral quotes were hard to miss. The Dallas Mavericks’ minority owner didn’t hold back on his feelings about the NBA Finals between the Mavs and the Heat.

“We hurt in 2006 after it was stolen from us, right?” Cuban said on DLLS Sports. “And I’ll take that to my grave that it was stolen from us.”

The 2006 NBA Finals had plenty of star power. A young Dwyane Wade was in the mix for the Miami Heat and eventually won the series MVP award.

Several other Hall of Famers were a part of the action, including players Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, Dirk Nowitzki, and the head coach, Pat Riley.

Being that Wade was such an important piece to Miami’s victory that year, his decision to “like” the Cuban quote on Instagram was something that fans couldn’t help but notice.

via @ClutchPoints: It’s been nearly two decades, and Mark Cuban still hasn’t forgotten about what he believes was a 2006 NBA Finals that benefited the eventual champion, Miami Heat. … Some fans were pointing out the free-throw disparity, with Miami making more attempts than Dallas, 207-155, throughout the entire series.

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At the end of the day, Cuban’s comments won’t take away part of Wade’s legacy.

The 2003 fifth-overall pick won his first NBA Finals that year, and it ended up being his only Finals MVP win, despite being a three-time NBA Champion.

During that postseason, Wade was dominant. He appeared in 23 games, shooting 50 percent from the field and 38 percent from three, to average 28 points per game. He dished out six assists per game, while accounting for six rebounds and two steals per outing.

Wade’s social media activity is likely just a way for the 13-time All-Star to rub some salt in the wound. It’s not like Cuban’s Mavs were ring-less during their time anyway.

Sure, there might be some frustration over the 2006 NBA Finals, but the Mavs got their revenge on Miami. In 2011, the Mavericks beat the Heat 4-2 in the NBA Finals. Instead of Wade, Dirk Nowitzki was the series MVP. It remains the one and only title for the Mavs since they entered the NBA in 1980.

At this point, it would take another NBA Finals victory for the Mavs in order for Cuban to move on. For the time being, Wade is enjoying seeing the memories from a different lens.