Inside The Heat

Controversial Holding Penalty In Super Bowl Circles Back To Dwyane Wade In 2006 NBA Finals

Some have compared the call on Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry to Dirk Nowitzi's late foul on Dwyane Wade

Shandel Richardson

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Somehow, Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade surfaced in the moments after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday's Super Bowl. 

The game ended in controversy after a questionable holding penalty on third down was called on Eagles cornerback James Bradberry that set up the winning field goal. 

Even former Heat player LeBron James had an issue with the flag. 

On Monday, ESPN's Tom Haberstroh picked up the conversation. He posed this question on Twitter: 

"What's the NBA version of last night's holding call?"

It drew a variety of responses but among the most popular was Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki's late foul on Wade in Game 5 of the 2006 NBA Finals. Many felt there was no contact, but Wade sank two free throws that won it for the Heat. A few days later, the Heat captured Game 6 and their first championship. 

 Wade shot 97 free throws during the series, including 21 in Game 5. In 2008, here's what ESPN's Bill Simmons said about the call made by referee Bennett Salvatore.

"Salvatore called the foul on Wade's final drive in overtime (remember, the call where ABC couldn't find a replay to show that anyone touched him?) even though he was standing at midcourt a full 35-40 feet from the play, and even though two other refs were closer to the play. Not only was that NOT his call, he butchered it."

Some even made the notion there was a conspiracy by the NBA to help the Heat win. In Wade's defense, he scored from all over the court that series. It was one of the best performances in Finals history, serving as his introduction to stardom. 

The last time I could find Wade talking about it was in 2017 while he was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He seemed like he didn't want to address something from a decade earlier with but did say, "I earned them all" when asked about the free throws. 

Regardless, the Chiefs and Wade put in the effort to end their seasons as champions, so none of this debate matters. 

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Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat.

TWITTER: @ShandelRich

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here

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