Udonis Haslem has replied to JJ Barea’s claims about Dirk Nowitzki hating the Miami Heat in 2011. Back in the day, the Dallas Mavericks were taking on the Florian team in the NBA Finals. In which was a memorable series, Dirk Nowitzki completed a magical run to take his Mavericks to the promised land for the first time ever.
Dirk was just incredible in that series, playing through illnesses, injuries and more. He was just on another level, but his former teammate Barea revealed he had more motivations that nobody knew about at that time. During a recent interview with JJ Redick’s “The Old Man and the Three” podcast, the Puerto Rican player revealed that Dirk didn’t like the Big 3 Miami Heat.
“He was not going to let us lose,” Barea said of the 2011 NBA Finals series between the Heat and Mavs. “The way he prepared the whole year for it. He hated Miami, he hated LeBron [James], [Dwyane] Wade, [Chris] Bosh.
Haslem replied to those comments, explaining the way his team and himself approached that series.
“I don’t [know] why this is news. We didn’t need anyone to make fun of us. We already hated they asses. So fucking what he didn’t like being picked on…,” He wrote on an Instagram story.
It’s been 10 years since that Finals and now some things resurfaced. Back in the day, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were spotted making fun of Dirk Nowitzki for being sick. The German player delivered a great game after that before winning the series 4-2 to close an incredible season for the Mavs.
There is nothing that Haslem or Barea or Dirk can do to change the outcome of that series but it’s good to see that Dirk took things personally and stepped up when his team needed him the most.
