HoopsHype.com Rumors

It's offical: Mike Miller will start in place of Udonis Haslem in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. With 20 minutes until tipoff, the Heat made the announcement on the official team lineup sheets. There was speculation building all day after a report said the scenario was possible. CBSSports.com

Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller 

If Spoelstra decides to make the change with Miami trailing the San Antonio Spurs 2-1 in the best-of-seven Finals, Miller would likely replace Udonis Haslem in the starting lineup to give the Heat more shooters in an attempt to spread the floor. The Spurs have been successful in packing the paint over the series' first three games and it has cramped the driving space for LeBron James and Wade. ESPN.com

Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller, Erik Spoesltra 

Chris Tomasson: Udonis Haslem on Chris “Birdman’’ Andersen: “The media loves him, the fans love him, the ladies love him.’’ Twitter @christomasson

Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem, Chris Andersen 

Udonis Haslem told some funny stories today about playing in France in 2002-03. Here's one on French classes. "Obviously when I signed my contract, part of my job was having to take French classes,'' Haslem said. "I think I lasted about a week and a half, and I told the guys I wasn't going back to French class. If they wanted to send me home they could. Fortunately I was leading the team with scoring and rebounding. We were going pretty well. So they elected to keep me.'' Sulia

Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem 

Joseph Goodman: Udonis Haslem credited Juwan Howard with a fiery halftime speech. Said Howard was rearranging furniture and talking loudly. Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr

Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem, Juwan Howard 

Haslem sure found that out in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinal against Indiana. Shortly after Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough had a flagrant foul 1 against Heat guard Dwyane Wade, Haslem plowed into Hansbrough. Haslem was assessed a flagrant foul 1. He later was suspended for Game 6, which the Heat were able to win to close out the series 4-2. “It probably would have been just a regular foul,’’ Haslem said about how his hit on Hansbrough might have been handled during the NBA’s rough-and-tumble era. “I’ve seen a lot worse …. It was just a hard play on the basketball. I still stand by the fact that I didn’t feel like I should have been suspended, and I didn’t feel like I had tried to hurt anybody. It was a hard foul.’’ FOXSports Florida

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, Tyler Hansbrough, Udonis Haslem 

Haslem will run into the Pacers again in the East finals, which start Wednesday at AmericanAirlines Arena. There has been plenty of talk about how this will be a physical series, much like the one last year. Then again, every series is like that as far as Haslem is concerned. “That’s the way I play the game,’’ said Haslem, 32, a former University of Florida star. “I compete. I get hit and I take hits. So to me, it’s just another series.’’ FOXSports Florida

Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem 

Authorities in South Florida are investigating whether there are connections between recent burglaries at the homes of Miami Heat players Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem. Miami Beach police spokeswoman Vivian Hernandez said Wednesday there are similarities in the two thefts aside from both being Heat players. Authorities are not releasing the exact nature of those similarities. USA Today Sports

Miami Heat, Chris Bosh, Law, Udonis Haslem 

Veteran NBA referee Joey Crawford will be the lead official for Friday night's Game 3 between the Heat and Bulls. Known for his no-nonsense style, Crawford arrives in Chicago two days after Game 2 of the series featured nine technical fouls. In his last game, Crawford issued seven technical fouls in Game 6 of the first-round series between the Clippers and Grizzlies. Chris Paul and Zach Randolph were ejected from the game. Udonis Haslem's reaction to learning Crawford was calling Friday's game was telling. "Oh, really," Haslem said. "Wow." Miami Herald

Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem, Joey Crawford 

Heat forward Udonis Haslem, who played four years at Florida before Joakim Noah, helped advise Noah to return for his junior year back in 2006-07. "Udonis is like the big brother of Florida basketball," Noah said. "He's a warrior. You play in a series like this and you don't want to show too much love right now. But he's someone who took care of us and always gave us really good advice. He always told me that playing at the University of Florida was special." Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem, Joakim Noah 

Haslem and Noah share a strong friendship but that relationship is on ice for the time being. The two high-energy players from the University of Florida will go head-to-head in the series. “When we see each other it’s always much love and much respect,” Haslem said. “It’s always going to be a special bond between us because we’re both Gators, but when the ball goes up, we both understand that we got a job to do and we’re going to repeat at a high level. And at that point we’re not Gators. I play for the Heat and he’s a Bull and that’s what it comes down to.” Miami Herald

Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem, Joakim Noah 

When Udonis Haslem tore a ligament in his left foot in late November of 2011, it wasn’t clear that he would play again that season. It was never a question, of course, of whether he wanted to. So he seemed an appropriate person to query, about Derrick Rose’s decision to stay off the court, more than one year after knee surgery, and more than two months after receiving medical clearance. "It’s going to be totally up to him,” Haslem said. “Nobody on the outside can tell him when he’s ready, or how he feels, physically or more important, mentally. That’s the thing that you’ve got to get past, is the mental part of it. When the doctor says you’re ready to go, physically, yeah, you’re ready to go. But you’re not at the point you were before you got hurt. You’re probably 70 percent. And then the mental part is the most challenging part of it, that you’re confident the injury is not going to happen again and you can compete with the best athletes in the world.” Palm Beach Post

Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem, Derrick Rose, Injuries 

While Udonis Haslem was out on April 13, an off night between Heat home games, his Broward County house was targeted by burglars. Officers responded to an alarm, went to the house and reached Haslem. They found signs of forced entry at the side door of the garage, through the prying of the lock. Drawers were pulled out, and the closet of Haslem’s fiancee was ransacked. Clothes and purses were in garbage bags. Electronics were undisturbed. The police report draws the conclusion that there was a lookout who alerted the other suspect to the alarm and the arrival of police, and they left through the back door. Palm Beach Post

Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem 

Chris Tomasson: LeBron on Birdman: “Ain’t nobody messing with Bird. There’s two guys you’re not allowed to mess with. That’s him and UD (Udonis Haslem)’’ Twitter @christomasson

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Udonis Haslem, Chris Andersen 

“He’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game and I hope he can make a recovery and finish his career on a positive note and pick his time to go and not let an injury be the deciding factor,” Haslem said. “[Rehabilitation] just takes a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication, a lot of prayer and as an athlete you always go through that thought process of are you ever going to be the same and when you do get back and you do get somewhat healthy, you got to get yourself back in the rhythm of playing the game of basketball.” Miami Herald

Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Kobe Bryant, Udonis Haslem, Injuries 

Dwyane Wade LeBron James and Chris Bosh will be in the Miami Heat lineup against the Boston Celtics on Friday, the team announced. The Heat said that forwards Udonis Haslem and Shane Battier will not play. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says Battier has an array of minor aches, and Haslem has a sprained ankle. Even with the Heat's Big Three returning, Friday's game in Miami will be lacking at least some star power. The Celtics plan to play without Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, both of whom are dealing with left ankle soreness. Pierce and Garnett are expected to be back in the lineup on Saturday night in Orlando. "We have back-to-backs and we're trying to avoid back-to-backs, to be honest," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who -- not surprisingly -- hints that the duo likely will sit again with a back-to-back to close the regular season next week. "I just thought this would be a way to do it. A lot of talk didn't go into it." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, Injuries, Shane Battier 

Ray Allen not only watched it prior to entering the Heat’s locker room Tuesday night, but he called over Heat teammates — such as Norris Cole, Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade — to watch. “I mean, it was just despicable,” Allen said. “Not only as a parent, but I think about where I went, the places I’ve gone in my career, my parents kind of lent me to all these other people. I’ve been raised not only by Mom and Dad, but by several coaches, AAU coaches, high school coaches and then my college coach, and all of them had a hand in getting me to who I am today. And not to mention the teachers that I grew up under, learning, so we trust in the people we lend our kids off to, to help them grow. And I only hope when I let my kids go, there’s somebody watching them and growing and making sure they do that.” Palm Beach Post

Miami Heat, Ray Allen, Dwyane Wade, Coaching, Udonis Haslem, NCAA, Norris Cole, Mike Rice 

Joseph Goodman: Heat locker room screaming "lob city" as #FGCU throws down against #Gators. LeBron cheering the loudest. Miller and Haslem not happy. Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller, NCAA 

An ESPN beat writer, Michael Wallace, who covers the Heat and the NBA for ESPN.com put the story out via Twitter on January 2. “From now on, Haslem says no longer wants to be called Udonis or ‘UD’. He said address him in 2013 as Django, FWIW.” EURweb.com

Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem 

Tim Reynolds: Udonis Haslem out tonight (flu). Twitter @ByTimReynolds

Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem, Injuries