‘Hate to Love’: Dwyane Wade Reveals New Respect for Mavs’ Dirk Nowitzki

As The Dallas Mavericks prepare to immortalize Dirk Nowitzki's No. 41, long-time Miami Heat rival Dwyane Wade paid a tribute to the 'Big German' that could soften even the softest of rivaled hearts.

If there was a ‘Mount Rushmore’ of most-hated professional athletes in Dallas, surely Miami’s Dallas Mavericks nemesis Dwyane Wade would be one of the four heads etched in stone.

However, even the fiercest of rivals are capable of showing respect for each other when the curtains of their playing days have closed.

"The way (Dirk) did it, the route to get there … that (2011 championship) was special,” said Wade in an NBA.com ‘75 Stories’ special ahead of Dirk Nowitzki’s jersey retirement ceremony on Wednesday night.

"The way he did it, the route to get there… that [2011 championship] was special.”

Dwyane Wade has the utmost respect for Dirk Nowitzki after their NBA Finals battles. #NBA75

Hear more stories like this in 75 STORIES: DIRK NOWITZKI here: https://t.co/Woq6zd5qXt pic.twitter.com/hmomxRsIqr

— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2022

Nowitzki had his share of heated battles with Wade over the years, including two NBA Finals. Wade won the first series in 2006, as Nowitzki’s Mavs couldn’t hold on to a 2-0 lead and ultimately lost in six games. Nowitzki triumphantly got his revenge in 2011, though, as Dallas won four games in a row after falling in a 2-1 hole. The Mavs won in six games, and on their opponents’ home floor, no less, just like what happened five years prior.

Both on the court and off the court, Nowitzki and Wade never liked each other much, to put it nicely, during their playing days. Although that feeling of dislike lingers in the fan bases to an extent, Nowitzki and Wade have shown great respect for each other in recent years.

Although a lot of the common courtesy has been talked about a lot, Wade’s comments on Nowitzki this time around are enough to soften even the hardest of rivaled hearts.

Maybe.

“Playing each other twice in an NBA championship, you’re going to walk away with some scars,” said Wade. “You’re going to walk away with a healthy version of dislike, and a healthy version of how much you respect, and how much love you can have for a competitor.

“I love Dirk, (as far as) the career he had.”

As nice as it was to witness the sports ‘hate’ happen between Nowitzki and Wade, it’s just as refreshing to see the respect being given in the aftermath of all of it.

Nowitzki and Wade will undoubtedly enter the Hall of Fame together, as both players retired during the same year, and both are surefire first-ballot Hall-of-Fame candidates.

When that time comes, we will likely see more of this gushing mutual respect that’s becoming more ‘normal’ to us, day-by-day.