Dirk Nowitzki Jokes He Never Liked Dwyane Wade, Fellow Hall Of Famers During Speech
Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker and Dwyane Wade all enjoyed their time on stage as part of Saturday's Hall of Fame festivities.
But there was a time Nowitzki wasn't a fan of Wade or his fellow inductees. During his speech, he gave his fellow opponents their flowers but joked about a past dislike for them.
“I’m so excited to be a part of this class,” Nowitzki said. “Pau, Tony, D Wade, I didn’t always like you guys. We competed at the highest level but there was always an appreciation for all your guys’ greatness so thank you guys.”
Everyone remembers the friction between Nowitzki and Wade started. During the 2011 Finals, personal shots were taken at a sick Nowitzki. Several days after losing Game 4 to the Mavericks, a video went viral of Heat stars Wade and LeBron James mocking him with fake coughs.
The grudge Nowitzki held against Parker and Gasol wasn’t as personal. Actually, it was simply because they were in competition for the title of best European player.
After Nowitzki’s speech, it was Wade’s turn. He also admitted a past dislike for Nowitzki and said the ceremony felt like a therapy session.
“For Dirk and me, it’s been therapy,” Wade said. “Who would’ve thought we would be on the same team after all of our battles but here we are and it’s one of the greatest teams I’ve ever been on.”
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Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog HERE.
