"They wanted to push Wade as the next MJ" - Fans side with Mark Cuban's claim on Mavericks' 2006 title being "stolen" by NBA

Former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban continues to believe that the 2006 NBA championship was stolen by the NBA and the Miami Heat. Cuban was not alone in believing that there was a conspiracy during that NBA Finals, especially with the number of free throws Dwyane Wade took.

Speaking on the "DLLS Dallas Mavericks" podcast, Cuban described his relationship with Mavs fans throughout the years and after the Luka Doncic trade. He understood that some are still hurting from it, comparing it to the way Steve Nash left in 2005 and the way they lost the 2006 NBA Finals.

"We hurt in 2006 after it was stolen from us, right?" Cuban said. "And I'll take that to my grave that it was stolen from us. We hurt when Steve Nash left, you know? We hurt."

Mark Cuban's comments about their loss in the 2006 NBA Finals, wherein Dwyane Wade attempted 75 free throws during the series, including 25 in Game 3. Some fans agreed with Cuban's assumptions that it was "stolen" from the Dallas Mavericks.

Here are some of the comments.

I Hate Tim Bontemps

@Banner19otw

He’s not wrong. They wanted to push Wade as the next MJ.

TatumsWrld

@wrldoftatum

Miami really has zero real rings 😭😭

Jokicism🃏

@jokicgoatic15

Tim Donaghy said that the NBA interfered to extend the series.

Philip J Fry

@PhilipJFry3024

100% agree. I remember watching it live and realizing the same thing

⚡️Bye Bye Student Loans⚡️

@JdfixesCredit

Yeah, by Dwyane Wade.

Bobo Anderson 🇩🇲

@andfralec

It was clear as day. Mavs were whooping them badly first two games. Even had leads in all three games in Miami too. It was stolen from Dallas

To be fair to the Dallas Mavericks, there was an ill-advised timeout by Josh Howard in the pivotal Game 5 following a miscommunication with coach Avery Johnson. Dwyane Wade was very aggressive in attacking the basket during that series en route to winning his first NBA championship and only NBA Finals MVP.

The Mavericks returned to the NBA Finals in 2011, facing the Heat in a rematch. Mark Cuban's team got their revenge, finishing off Wade and LeBron James in six games to win the first title in franchise history.

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Mark Cuban has one regret in selling the Dallas Mavericks

Mark Cuban has one regret in selling the Dallas Mavericks

In the same appearance on the "DLLS Dallas Mavericks" podcast, Mark Cuban was asked about his decision to sell the franchise he poured his heart and soul into for more than two decades. Cuban doesn't regret selling the Mavs, but he regrets not opening it up for bidding.

"I don't regret selling the team, I regret how I did it," Cuban said, according to HoopsRumors. "Would I still sell the team? Yes, for all the same reasons I've said 100 times. Would I do it the same way? Absolutely not. I would have put it out to bid, but I didn't, so it doesn't matter."

The Mavs are now owned by the Adelson Family, with Cuban still owning a minority share of 27.0%.