Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks are seen by many as one of the last non-superteams that went all the way to win an NBA championship. This was in 2011 when Dirk sensationally led the Mavs to an unlikely title win over the Miami Heat Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

Much has been made about that epic series, wherein the Mavs came from 2-1 behind in the Finals to upset the Heat superteam. There was no shortage of intense moments and intriguing storylines during that unforgettable series, but one that stands out to this very day is how LeBron and Wade mocked Nowitzki right before Game 4. As the pair were walking through Dallas' dressing room after the Heat's morning shootaround, both LeBron and Wade let out a series of fake coughs in reference to Dirk's illness at that time.

Here's a look at the incident in question:

LeBron and Wade were laughing around as they kept on talking about their cough. There was no direct mention of Dirk, but you don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand what they were doing here.

Just recently, Nowitzki admitted that he did not appreciate that gesture from the Heat superstars. Nevertheless, it did not really have a significant impact on him in terms of how he treated the next couple of games:

“We saw it after Game 5, but I didn’t see it. Honestly, I felt it was a little disrespectful,” Nowitzki said, via Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. “[But] it didn’t add to my motivation, if that makes sense. I’m one game away from achieving my dreams, one I’ve chased 12 years into the league.”

True enough, despite the fact that Nowitzki was battling an illness, he led the Mavs to a big win in Game 4 to tie the series at 2-2. Dirk and Co. then went on to win Game 5 before clinching the title in Game 6. I guess you can say mocking Dirk backfired for LeBron and D-Wade?

This was the one and only time Nowitzki won a title. To this very day, the Hall of Famer cherishes that unforgettable achievement:

“I always say I had to go through tough times and disappointment to come out on top in 2011,” Nowitzki said. “Shaped me, formed me, pushed me to become the mental closer. Winning it all helped my reputation — to the guy who could finish the job. Helped me, took weight off my shoulders. I was super proud of that moment.”

Going back to Wade and LeBron, Dirk admitted that there was indeed some tension between them. Nowitzki no longer went into detail but based on his statement, it seems that the beef lingered even after their 2011 NBA Finals matchup. As a matter of fact, Nowitzki revealed that to this very day, he doesn't exactly consider Wade, in particular, to be his friend:

“We just did the All-Star Game together [Wade works for TNT]. I hopped on the broadcast for a couple minutes. I think we’re totally fine,” Nowitzki said. “Honestly, I think we’re way past it. Not every competitor can be friends. What’s there now is a mutual respect.”

That's a brutally honest statement from Nowitzki, who many consider as one of the nicest guys to have ever played in the league. The fact that he makes this revelation about Wade is actually quite shocking. Be that as it may, the important thing now is that there's no longer any beef between them. Right?