There is only one player who dedicated his entire career to a single team in NBA history. And that player was none other than the NBA Legend, Dirk Nowitzki. He debuted for the Mavericks in the year of 1994 and went on to win several accolades with them until his retirement in 2019. However, despite achieving so much, the setback of losing the NBA finals of 2006 to Shaquille O’Neal and Dwayne Wade’s Miami Heat really frustrated the Germanator. Dirk Nowitzki went on to reveal his experience of losing the finals on the verge of winning it.

In a recent podcast with Graham Bensinger, Dirk Nowitzki shared his feeling about experiencing the loss in the NBA Finals of 2006. Bensinger started the podcast by asking Nowitzki to share the experience of his and his teammates after the loss of the NBA finals. Nowitzki replied by saying the finals of 2006 were one of the most frustrating losses in his career. He added how they were ahead of  Miami Heat by winning the first two games of the finals. The Germanator reminisced about how they thought they were just two wins from wrapping up the finals. He also recalled how the Dallas Morning Time newspaper posted a headline ‘The Parade Route’ after taking the lead in their first 2 games.

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However, Dallas Mavericks consecutively lost their next three games. This turned the table in favor of the Miami Heat. They also went on to lose their 6th and final game despite Dirk Nowitzki displaying a fighting performance.

The Germanator further revealed how the Mavericks felt frustrated after being on the verge of winning the championship. Nowitzki added, “You get your heart ripped out” in regard to the feeling of missing the championship just by an inch. He finished off by saying how he gave consolation to himself that they will be right back in the next season.

Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal in the NBA finals

The NBA finals of 2006 were very special for the Miami Heat. They reached the finals for the first time since their introduction in 1988-89. With the help of Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade, they went on to win the finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Dwyane Wade probably cemented his position as the best player in the world. He also got the honor of being the MVP of the finals.

Wade finished the finals with an average of 34.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, while Shaq finished with an average of 13.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. Both Wade and O’Neal were the top three contributors to the Miami Heat, along with Antoine Walker. The plan of the Heat’s playing the duo of Wade and O’Neal successfully worked out. And the Miami Heat got their first championship with the help of Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal.

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