Report: Dirk Nowitzki said privately that Heat didn't have 'real' Big 3 because they didn't have him

12/11/2024 11:37 AM

Former Dallas Mavericks big man Brendan Haywood shared an interesting story about Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki and how he felt about the Miami Heat's Big 3.

First off, Haywood explained that Nowitzki didn't always feel a need to publicize his comments, but that he was still very confident in his abilities.

"Some guys gotta get out there, and they gotta beat their chest,” Haywood said while speaking on Nowitzki’s style of confidence. “… Like K.G. (Kevin Garnett) had to announce — and that’s no disrespect — K.G. just basically…had to let you know that, ‘I’m ticking.’ Dirk didn't feel that way, but he would say somethin’ behind the scenes that was different.”

He then shared how the Mavericks legend felt when taking on the Heat's Big 3 of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

"We takin' on the Big 3,” Haywood said as an example. “He's like, 'Eh, they ain't no real Big 3. If they really wanted to create a Big 3, they would've came and got me.' Dead serious. Yo, like, ‘If it was a real Big 3 – hey, listen, no disrespect to Bosh – you should've came and got me. You ain't got me, you ain't got no Big 3.'"

In the 2010-11 season, the Heat and Mavericks ended up meeting in the NBA Finals, and Nowitzki was able to get the best of Miami on his way to an NBA Finals MVP award.

Earlier in his career, Nowitzki lost to the Heat in the NBA Finals, so it certainly must've been a great feeling for him to get a title against the franchise a few seasons later.

The Heat’s Big 3 was one of the best trios in recent memory, as Bosh, Wade and James went to four consecutive NBA Finals, winning two titles in the process.

However, in the 2011 NBA Finals, it was Nowitzki who helped his team to glory. In that series, the Mavs legend averaged 26.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 41.6 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from beyond the arc.

In the six games in the 2011 NBA Finals, Nowitzki finished with at least 21 points in every matchup, leading Dallas to three straight wins in Games 4, 5 and 6 to wrap up the series.

Haywood's story shows just how confident the Hall of Famer was in his ability, and he certainly backed it up when it came time to face the Miami Big 3 on the biggest stage.

A 14-time All-Star, Nowitzki had a legendary career in Dallas, averaging 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game across 21 seasons. One of the best shooting big men of all time, Nowitzki finished his career shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 38.0 percent from 3.

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