This Date in NBA Finals History: Miami Heat Win Game 6 in 2006, Secure First Championship

Photo: Dwyane Wade celebrates as the Miami Heat win Game 6 of the 2006 NBA Finals, clinching the franchise’s first title. Photo credit: Jesse D. Garrabrant, 2006 NBAE, Getty Images.

On July 14, 2004, the Miami Heat made a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers with the vision of fortifying their middle and giving 22-year-old Dwyane Wade someone who could help him as he matured and grew to stardom.

That July day, the Heat traded Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant for Lakers’ center Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal, 32 years old, was coming off 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in 2003-04, a season where the Lakers won 56 games but lost to the Detroit Pistons 4-1 in the 2004 Finals. 

In the summer of 2004, Kobe Bryant, a free agent, flirted with the idea of leaving the Lakers. The Clippers believe it or not were close to getting his services. They offered him $100 million. Bryant, of course, stayed. Odom turned out to be a vital piece to the Laker titles of 2009 and 2010. Butler was a talented forward who became one of Bryant’s closest friends. Grant was a good veteran, a former Portland Trail Blazer who was tough (on the subject of Grant, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2008. God Bless him).

If the Lakers were going to retool and make Bryant their centerpiece, the Heat saw O’Neal as what they needed. 

O’Neal averaged 22.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game in 2004-05. He finished second in MVP voting. The Heat won 56 games, a 14-game improvement from the previous season, and lost in the Conference Finals in seven games to the Pistons. 

The 2005-06 version of the Heat won 52 games. After an 11-10 start with Stan Van Gundy as head coach, the Heat finished the season 41-20 with Pat Riley taking. The Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls 4-2 in the first round, the New Jersey Nets 4-1 in the second round, and in the Conference Finals defeated the Detroit Pistons 4-2. Their first NBA Finals appearance in team history was a date with the 60-win Dallas Mavericks. Wade, who in 2004-05 averaged 24.1 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.2 rebounds on 47.8% shooting, averaged 27.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in the 2005-06 regular season on 49.5% shooting. O’Neal, his attempts down to 13 per game, averaged 20.0 points and 9.2 rebounds. Wade was a versatile playmaker and defender who could play and guard both backcourt spots. He was an expert slasher and driver who had a pump fake that you could not help but bite on. He was now playing the role of Adam West. 

The Mavericks swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, prevailed in seven games in the second round over the San Antonio Spurs, and defeated the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the Conference Finals. Dirk Nowitzki was their bus driver. Jason Terry was their knock-down shooter. Josh Howard was a solid forward. Jerry Stackhouse, 13 points averaged off the bench, was their veteran scorer. 

The Western Conference champions took the first two games by double digits, 90-80 and 99-85, behind 32 points from Terry in Game 1 and 26 points and 16 rebounds from Nowitzki in Game 2. Wade in Game 1 scored 28 but was 11-of-25 shooting. Wade in Game 2 was just 6-of-19, though he scored 23 points thanks to an 11-of-14 evening from the line. After 17 points on 8-of-11 in Game 1, O’Neal shot just five times in Game 2 for 5 points. 

Then Wade, 24 years old, decided to take the series over. The Heat won 98-96 in Game 3 behind a virtuoso 42 points and 13 rebounds from Wade. He made 14 of his 26 field-goal attempts and 13-of-18 from the stripe. O’Neal avenged his poor Game 2 with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Leading 52-43 at halftime, the Heat were outscored 34-16 in the third quarter. They scored 30 in the fourth, holding the Mavericks to 19.

With 8:34 remaining in that Game 3, the Mavericks lead 83-71 after Devin Harris converts an inside layup. Riley calls for time. Wade, with five fouls, is on the bench. 

Wade returns with 6:47 to go and the Heat down 87-76. Wade pump fakes on the right wing and maneuvers inside, banking a shot off the glass. His next score is on a drive on the left baseline on Howard - a finger roll plus the foul. 35 for Wade. James Posey connects on a three. A seven-point deficit now, 91-84. Wade uses an O’Neal screen and hits from the free-throw line. 91-86. Wade catches on the left wing and drives, finishing a bank layup over Eric Dampier. 91-88. 

With the Mavericks leading 93-90, Wade hits a baseline jump shot. He’s poured in 41. Udonis Haslem connects on free-throws after stealing from Terry and getting fouled. An 18-4 run for the Heat. Posey hit free-throws and Harris responds with a layup. With the game tied at 95, Gary Payton hits a clutch shot from 18 or so feet out to put the Heat ahead 97-95. Wade rebounds a Nowitzki missed free-throw and makes one of two himself, providing the final two-point margin. 

The clinching Game 6 on June 20, 2006 also came down to the final moments. With just over three minutes remaining, the Heat lead by four, 87-83. Haslem gets blocked underneath by Stackhouse and Nowitzki connects on free-throws at the other end, cutting the deficit to two. Stackhouse for three from the right corner makes the score 89-88. Haslem gets a key rebound off a Jason Williams miss from the corner and lays the ball up off the glass. 91-88 with 1:21 remaining. A midrange shot from Howard with 42.4 on the clock makes the score 91-90. 

With the Heat up 93-90 with 22 seconds remaining, Nowitzki passes the ball to a rolling Eric Dampier down the middle, but Dampier loses the ball. Wade retrieves and gets fouled by Dampier in the corner with 17.7 seconds remaining. Wade makes both, nine fourth quarter points for him. Two free-throws from Howard make the score 95-92. Wade is fouled once again, with 10.3 seconds on the clock. He misses both free-throws. Haslem fights for the rebound and seems to emerge with the ball but is called for traveling. Terry uses a screen from Nowitzki on the right wing. Nowitzki can’t get free. Terry’s  shot for three goes in and out. Wade rebounds and fires the ball into the sky. 

“The Miami Heat! They’ve done it!,” is Mike Breen’s call. 

The first title for the Heat franchise in 2006 was the finishing touch on a season where Riley had the gusto to take the reins from Van Gundy and where Wade had the gifts to take over games when they needed him to. Wade was electric in their playoff and Finals’ run. He led all playoff players in points with 654 and averaged 34.7 points on 46.8% shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.7 steals in 43.5 minutes in the Finals. O’Neal averaged 13.7 points and 10.2 rebounds, but it was Antoine Walker who was second on the Heat in scoring in the series at 13.7 per game. 

For the Mavericks, the loss was the first of two consecutive playoff disappointments, preceding a 2007 first round exit at the hands of the Golden State Warriors. That was a series where Don Nelson defeated the franchise that he had previously coached, using small ball and multiple defenders on Nowitzki. It was also the first time an eighth seed had defeated a top seed (the Mavericks finished 67-15 in 2006-07) in a seven-game series.

Nowitzki, the 2006-07 MVP, would get his revenge on the Heat in the 2011 Finals, defeating Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh in six games. 

In 2006 though, it was the Heat’s time. This team was carefully crafted and well built by Riley and General Manager Randy Pfund. Along with Wade and O’Neal, talented veterans Payton, Williams, and Walker provided invaluable experience and clutch play. Haslem was 25 years old and a rugged rebounder and physical player. He always had a quality midrange jump shot. Posey was a clutch player who could stretch the floor and play defense. Alonzo Mourning, 36, won his first championship. For O’Neal, he won his fourth title while he bonded with another young guard, taking a backseat for the first time. Wade emerged as a superstar. Riley’s “15 Strong” mantra was the rallying cry and proved true. 

The title was the first of three for both Wade and the franchise. Riley, with nine championships at present day, serves as the current President of the team. Riley peers around every corner and exhausts every possibility and scenario to improve the team, relentless in his pursuit to win another championship. The Heat have made two Finals’ appearances (2020, 2023) since their last win in 2013 but have yet to capture the Larry O’Brien trophy.

On this date in 2006, they won their first.