National Basketball Association

The grudge is gone! Mark Cuban now likes Dwyane Wade

Published Nov. 10, 2014 9:28 p.m. ET

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At one point in time, Mark Cuban did not like Dwyane Wade. That point in time happened to be around the 2006 NBA Finals.

Wade led his Miami Heat out of a two-game hole to beat Cuban's Mavericks for the NBA championship that year.

". . . Cuban thought the Miami guard was nothing more than a self-promoting prima donna, albeit a very talented one," Dallas Morning News writer Eddie Sefko acknowledged Sunday during an interview with the Mavs owner.

But during the interview, Cuban admitted his feelings had changed.

When asked if he still disliked Wade, Cuban responded, "Not anymore. At the beginning, I did because I think he thought he was entitled to everything that happened in that (2006) series. But it's been eight years. I mean, I take a little bit of joy in games where he doesn't go to the free-throw line. But I like D-Wade now. He's a guy who does a lot of good things off the court and I have to respect that."

Of course, winning his own NBA title (against Wade's Heat in 2011) had to help a little as well.

"But if you'd have asked me eight years ago," he continued, "it would have been a different answer. There was a time I did a commercial and he was there. He walked out of the room so I wouldn't see him. I walked out a different door so I wouldn't have to talk to him.

"I give him credit off the court. He's gone from flash to being a good representative of the NBA. I respect that. He seems to be more about family and community. He went through some off-the-court hardships, I guess. But yeah, I have a lot of respect for him now. I think he and LeBron helped each other grow up. I don't hold a lot of animosity at all."

Except for the fact that Cuban admitted he still "doesn't care much for the Heat in general." But other than that, no animosity.

[Pro Basketball Talk]

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