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Dallas Mavericks
Miami Heat
Aug 26, 2025 4:49 PM EDT
When you are a league who has been around for as long as the NBA, people will inevitably begin to question some of the anomalies that occur during the association’s lifespan. The NBA has received accusations of major conspiracies like rigging the 1985 draft to gift Patrick Ewing to the New York Knicks.
One of the most prominent, well-constructed conspiracies of this century is the 2006 NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat. Two of the league’s biggest superstars, Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki were vying for their first title, and Miami won four straight after Dallas jumped out to a 2-0 series lead.
While there is no concrete evidence to suggest the series was rigged, it doesn’t help the NBA’s case that former referee Tim Donaghy, who was arrested in connection with a scandal in which he bet on games he officiated, claims the series was rigged against the Mavericks. Mark Cuban recently weighed in on the discussion and gave a chilling response to the league.
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The theory states that the league purposely inflated the Heat’s free throw numbers in an attempt to even the score, and it worked like a charm. In Dallas’ two wins they attempted just four more free throws than Miami, but the Heat would be plus-55 in the free throw department over the next four games and win the championship.
We’ll likely never know for sure if the NBA set the Mavericks up for failure, but there is certainly some strong evidence to suggest it. Fortunately for the team, they would capture the title five years later in a rematch against the Heat, this time bringing down Wade along with the star-studded supporting cast of LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
The 2006 finals will haunt Cuban forever, but Dallas was luckily able to redeem the crushing defeat.
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Paul White