Miami Heat’s Udonis Haslem is Always Prepared To Rumble
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Miami Heat veteran Udonis Haslem recently shared an Instagram video of himself telling a story on Duncan Robinson’s podcast The Long Shot.
Haslem defended teammate Dwyane Wade in a game against the Indiana Pacers in the 2012 Eastern Conference semifinals.
“D-Wade takes one, a hard one,” Haslem said. “Now I see the two dudes giving each other a high five. They was kind of congratulating each other. Now, the decision is made: ‘I’m f****** somebody up.”
The next part of the Instagram clip shows Wade talking about Haslem having his back.
“Whenever I was in the club, whenever I was on the court, or anywhere in Miami, UD had my back,” Wade said to IAmAthlete’s Channing Chowder.
Haslem has gotten a lot of criticism for his lack of playing time over the past couple of years. However, him putting this video on social media shows he is always ready for any endeavor. He even got some minutes in the Heat’s Wednesday game against the Boston Celtics.
Some clowned him for attempting to guard star Jayson Tatum, who is 18 years younger and one of the leading scorers in the league. Coach Erik Spoelstra commended Haslem’s effort.
“Nikola [Jovic] could've given us good minutes but Udonis gives you that veteran presence,” Spoelstra said. “All the guys trust him. He has a way of making everybody play a little bit harder and a little bit tougher.”
Haslem is considered a leader in the Heat locker room and has served as a mentor for the younger players. Though many have condemned the Heat re-signing Haslem, others have praised his place within Heat culture. ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins, a frequent Heat critic, gave praised Haslem on entering his 20th season in the league
“I just wanna give you your flowers and tell you how much I appreciate you,” Perkins said. “We came into the league together, and I watched you come in undrafted. I watched you grind and practice with D-Wade in the summertime. Everything you’ve done for the Heat culture and transitioning yourself to being that veteran leader, that extension of Erik Spoelstra.”
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Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jayden.armant@bison.howard.edu or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
