Magic Johnson Overly Impressed With Udonis Haslem As An ESPN Analyst

Early in playing career, former Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem shied from the spotlight.

He was short with the media. He wasn't originally a fan of social media. But now things are different. Haslem was exited his shell. He hosts a podcast with former Heat teammate Mike Miller. This week, he made a few appearances on ESPN as an analyst.

Hall of Famer Magic Johnson was among those who was impressed by Haslem in front of the camera. Johnson posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that ESPN should hire Haslem full-time so he can join the like Kendrick Perkins, JJ Redick, Tim Legler and Jay Williams.

ESPN - You definitely have an excellent team of ex-players already with Kendrick Perkins, Jay Williams, Tim Legler, and JJ Reddick…but you should hire Udonis Haslem permanently! He's been spectacular breaking down the NBA playoffs - from the players’ game and mentality, to the…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 29, 2024

Johnson wrote, "ESPN - You definitely have an excellent team of ex-players already with Kendrick Perkins, Jay Williams, Tim Legler, and JJ Reddick…but you should hire Udonis Haslem permanently! He's been spectacular breaking down the NBA playoffs - from the players’ game and mentality, to the x’s and o’s, as well as the philosophy of the game…Udonis has done it with intelligence, charisma, and flair. And he's funny too!"

It is unknown if ESPN is just experimenting with Haslem. He made appearances on First Take, Get Up and the NBA on ESPN. It seems he is just as comfortable on set as he was on the basketball court. After going undrafted in 2003, Haslem spent all 20 of his seasons with the Heat before retiring in 2023. He is the franchise's career rebounding leader and recently had his jersey retired.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Inside The Heat. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com