The prestigious honor of being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame will happen for a few big names this weekend as the ceremony is set for this Saturday, Aug. 12. Among the headliners for this year's Basketball Hall of Fame class are former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade and former Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki. It's a little fitting that both players would be enshrined alongside each other as they were like rivals during their playing days. Ahead of the ceremony, Wade and Nowitzki reflected back on some of the battles they had against each other via Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38174379/parker-pop-partnership-forged-rocky-start-takes-joint-hof-journey

“It's crazy going to the Hall of Fame with Dirk,” Dwyane Wade said, “Obviously being competitors and the parallels of our careers, and with Tony as well. It's fitting though, and it feels right.”

Nowitzki chimed in as well saying, “Obviously we competed at the highest level, on the highest stage, and there was some things said on both sides and it was emotional at times. So there were pretty frosty times between us. . .But now that's all said and done, and the competition is over, I think there is an appreciation and a respect there for each other's career.”

While Dwyane Wade played his entire career in the Eastern Conference and Dirk Nowitzki in the Western Conference, the two had some of their biggest battles in the NBA Finals. Their first matchup came in 2006 when Wade led the Heat to the Finals and Nowitzki led the Mavs. Wade had one of the greatest Finals performances of all time helping the Heat win their first ever NBA title.

Then in 2011, the Heat and Mavs squared off again with Nowitzki capping off a phenomenal playoff run with a title ending the Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh trio's first season together in disappointment.