"We're Too Quick For You!": Mark Cuban Recalls Pat Riley's Trash Talk During 2011 NBA Finals

If there was ever an underdog tale in the history of the NBA Finals, it would be the Dallas Mavericks taking on the Miami Heat in the 2011 championship series.

Mark Cuban remembers that series like it was yesterday, as it led to the first-ever NBA championship in the history of his beloved Mavericks. Appearing on the “Run Your Race” podcast, Cuban recalled the intensity of the competition that led to Heat president Pat Riley spewing some trash talk in Game 2.

According to Cuban, who was then the Mavs majority owner, Riley walked right into the visitors’ locker room at halftime to deliver a verbal gut punch.

“He goes to me and says, ‘We’re too long and quick for you guys, Mark.’ This is the second game of the series. Pat is talking s***,” Cuban shared.

Though the billionaire businessman likely wanted to retort, his team’s performance after the halftime break did not give him enough ammunition. “They go up 15, and I’m thinking, maybe he’s right,” Cuban said, chuckling.

Riley’s immense pride in his roster’s athleticism was certainly warranted, as the Heat featured the formidable trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. In the offseason that preceded the 2010–11 campaign, James and Bosh shook the NBA to its core by deciding to take their talents to South Beach, where Wade and Riley welcomed them with open arms.

Dallas, meanwhile, was bannered by beloved homegrown talent Dirk Nowitzki, whose supporting cast included Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, and Tyson Chandler. This ensemble relied more on veteran smarts than star power, and as such, the Mavericks were widely viewed as underdogs against the Heat’s Big Three.

But Cuban would end up having the last laugh over Riley. In the fourth quarter, the Mavericks pulled off their best defensive performance of the game by limiting the Heat to 18 points. Nowitzki would finish the game with a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Marion added 20 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in addition to his superb defense.

The Mavs went on to tie the series at 1–1 with their Game 2 victory, and in Game 6, they wrapped things up to claim the Larry O’Brien trophy. Riley’s squad may have held the advantage in quickness, but Cuban’s team ultimately won the race on the NBA’s grandest stage.