The 2012 NBA Finals present a different narrative for both teams featuring in it. On one hand, the Miami Heat , who had lost in the previous championship round to the Dallas Mavericks despite forming the Big 3, were seeking redemption desperately. Conversely, the OKC Thunder were pursuing their first championship. As the stakes and intensity in the series escalated, even young Kevin Durant couldn’t resist trash-talking Dwyane Wade .
Durant called D-Wade ‘small’
Durant ’s game-winning 36-point performance in the series opener sent shockwaves and rays of concern to the Heat organization and fans. In response, it required a combined 72-point effort from LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and D-Wade to help Miami level the series in a nail-biting contest. However, despite the latter’s resurgence in the championship round, they struggled to contain KD in Game 2 as he logged 32 points in 38 minutes.
Now, with the stakes getting higher in Game 3, the Heat realized the need to restrict Durant from getting favorable height mismatches. However, at the outset of the contest, the 6’11” forward was able to get 6’4” Wade to guard him. With the height difference being obvious, it didn’t take long for the Slim Reaper to score over him.
As the two-time All-Star Game MVP hustled back to the defense send, he could be seen chirping towards Wade. Postgame, ‘Flash’ revealed just what the message was.
"He told me I was too small," Wade said . " I had to run down the court and say, 'What'd you say again?' and he said, 'You’re too small.' He's got seven inches on me, so I played good defense, but he’s a scorer, and he made a good shot."
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Durant was unstoppable but Wade got the last laugh
Ultimately, D-Wade emerged victorious in that particular contest, contributing 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists to propel the Heat to a 2-1 series lead. Although the 14-time All-Star Durant amassed an impressive 60 points over the subsequent two games, compared to Wade's average of 22.5 points in those encounters, it was the Heat who ultimately prevailed and closed out the series in five games.
So, while the 2014 MVP may have flaunted his height superiority over the 2006 Finals MVP, it was the latter’s multifaceted impact that ultimately enabled Miami to enrich its legacy at the expense of the young Thunder squad.
Even though Durant emerged as the best offensive player in the series (averaging 30.6 points), and the Heat genuinely lacked a defender who could contain him, Wade knew that this would be the outcome.
"We're not the biggest team at all, we're used to it, " Wade added. "We've been playing, at times, small basketball all season. Chris is the biggest guy in our rotation."
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