Winning the NBA Finals is the ultimate dream for every player and franchise. Still, not every championship is celebrated equally. Some are remembered with controversy, others with doubt. Just think of the 2020 “Bubble” title claimed by the Los Angeles Lakers, which many fans still refuse to recognize as a legitimate win.
Similarly, former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has never softened his stance about the 2006 NBA Finals. Nearly two decades later, he still carries the bitter taste of what he believes was highway robbery disguised as basketball officiating.
Has Mark Cuban Not Changed His Stance Regarding the 2006 NBA Finals?
In the recent episode of the “DLLS Mavs podcast”, Cuban was discussing the passionate fanbase in Dallas and how much heartbreak they’ve endured over the years. During that emotional discussion, he also dropped a striking reminder.
“We were hurt in 2006 after it was stolen from us. And I’ll take that to my grave that it was stolen from us,” said Cuban during the podcast.
Cuban purchased the Mavericks in January 2000 from H. Ross Perot Jr. for $285 million. By the 2005-06 season, his vision was paying off. The Mavericks, that was led by Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, and Josh Howard, stormed through the regular season with a 60-22 record, good for the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
They advanced past the Grizzlies, Spurs, and Suns to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Their opponent was the Miami Heat, a team powered by Shaquille O’Neal and an emerging superstar in Dwyane Wade. Early on it looked like Dallas was destined for glory as they took a commanding (2-0) lead in the series. But the tide quickly turned. Miami won four straight games to clinch the championship (4-2).
For Cuban, the bitterness of that series has never faded. His primary frustration centers on Game 5, where officiating became the focal point of controversy. In that game, Wade attempted a staggering 25 free throws.
Fun Fact? It was even more than the entire Mavericks roster combined. The climax came in overtime, when a questionable foul was called on Dallas with just seconds left which allowed Wade to seal a 101-100 win.
Dwyane Wade after going down 0-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals:
39.3 PPG – 8.3 RPG – 3.5 APG – 2.5 SPG – 50.5 FG%
Willed his team to 4 straight victories and won Finals MVP at only 24.pic.twitter.com/iJIUwu4epD
— 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 (@WadexFlash) August 20, 2025
Cuban, who believed the game was powered by biased officiating, stormed onto the court to confront referee Joe DeRosa. Later, he even hired a former FBI agent to investigate the referees who worked the series.
However, fate would eventually bring sweet redemption. In 2011, the Mavericks once again faced the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals and under Nowitzki’s leadership, Dallas flipped the script. They defeated Miami 4-2 to capture the first NBA championship in franchise history.
On this day in 2011, Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks to their first NBA Championship in franchise history 🏆
(via @NBAHistory)pic.twitter.com/vbsckLe8RS
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 12, 2025
Now, even with that championship banner hanging in the rafters Cuban’s wounds from 2006 still remain fresh. However, his recent comments on the podcast prove that some injustices (real or perceived) leave scars that never fully heal.
