Riley thanked Udonis Haslem and Miami’s other veterans for being leaders in the locker room, and credited Erik Spoelstra for painting a coaching masterpiece in the bubble, successfully juggling what amounted to a 12-man roster of rotation players — who weren’t always happy to be spectators. “That’s one of the most difficult things that I think a coach can do,” Riley said. “We know what he is. I know what he is. I know what his value is. One day, he will, from somebody outside who votes, he will be a coach of the year and he will probably be a coach of the year multiple times. Then when he gets that trophy, he’ll take it and he’ll put it back in his closet and it will collect dust. He’s about winning, that’s it.”
Udonis Haslem Rumors
All NBA Players
Position: F
Born: 06/09/80
Height: 6-8 / 2.03
Weight:235 lbs. / 106.6 kg.
Salary: $2,564,753
Born: 06/09/80
Height: 6-8 / 2.03
Weight:235 lbs. / 106.6 kg.
Salary: $2,564,753
Anthony Chiang: Erik Spoelstra on importance of Udonis Haslem’s presence entering tonight’s game: “He’s always important. He’s just an incredible rock of stability, leadership and mentorship. … I love him and I’m glad he’s in this locker room.”
Udonis Haslem and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, players on different sides of this year’s NBA Finals, are teammates once again — just as they were in Miami from 2010 through 2014. Haslem is one of more than 50 Black athletes and entertainers who are lending their celebrity and influence to the “More Than A Vote” campaign, a group headlined by James and formed not long after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were part of what reignited the quest to eliminate racial inequality and police brutality in this country.
Dwyane Wade: The one on the bench can’t be more angry than the ones of the court. We need that same energy on the court. You can’t spar with them and you won’t outplay the Lakers. You have to fight, scrap and make it ugly to even have a chance
Heat lifer Udonis Haslem, who played just 44 minutes in the 2019-20 regular season and has yet to enter a game this postseason, emphatically tried to motivate the rest of his teammates. Haslem, 40, urged them to play harder and called out their lack of effort at points during Game 2. NBA stars Dwyane Wade and CJ McCollum took notice of Haslem and shared their appreciation for the veteran on Twitter.
Malika Andrews: Jimmy Butler said he responded to this speech, but noted that it shouldn’t take that to light a fire. “We have to do it from the jump.” “Maybe he should just start the game off cussing people out,” he joked.
Udonis Haslem is in that second category. A Miami native, he’s spent each of his 17 NBA seasons with the Heat. He began his career as an undrafted tweener who lost 50 pounds on his way into the league. A few years later, he was a starter on a title team. A few years after that, he was the glue guy for the most infamous dynasty in sports. Today the three-time NBA champion almost never leaves the bench, but talk to anyone associated with the Heat, and they’ll use reverential tones to describe the man known as “UD” throughout South Florida. “He’s Mr. 305, man,” says Heat president Pat Riley. “He’s Liberty City. He’s Miami.”
