Udonis Haslem had a surprising answer to who from ‘The Last Dance’ he wished was his teammate
The Hall of Famers turned out in droves for “The Last Dance.”
It seemed like every basketball legend, from Magic Johnson to Gary Payton, wanted their chance to talk about Michael Jordan.
Although the docuseries featured many generational talents, Udonis Haslem had a rather surprising answer when asked who he would have liked to play with.
“Steve Kerr was huge,” Haslem said on ESPN’s Now or Never. “Every moment Steve Kerr had I loved because I’ve been a guy who’s only going to get four five shots a game and one of those five is probably one of the most important shots of that particular game or could be the most important shot of the series.”
Haslem’s affinity for Kerr stems from Episode 9 of “The Last Dance” which detailed the Chicago Bulls guard’s contributions to the 1997 championship team. The current Golden State Warriors coach had struggled the entire NBA Finals yet Jordan still trusted him to take the go-ahead shot with less than 10 seconds left in Game 6 against the Utah Jazz.
Kerr, of course, hit it to put the Bulls up 88-86. A mistimed pass would give Toni Kukoc a breakaway jam that sealed the game 90-86, bringing Chicago its fifth championship in seven years.
As someone that’s been a key contributor during each of Miami’s title runs, Haslem knows exactly what Kerr was going through. The 17-year veteran averaged a combined five shots during those three championship seasons.
Haslem might not have a shot comparable to Kerr’s, but the ethos is the same.
“I understand that feeling, I understand the pressure that comes with that, and that’s why I always preach to my guys ‘stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,’” Haslem noted.
