Udonis Haslem explains impact he has on Heat success: ‘I see when these guys respond to me.’
Udonis Haslem isn’t sure if this will be his final NBA season, but he does know he still provides something the Miami Heat needs.
The 40-year-old veteran, who is in his 17th NBA season, is the oldest player remaining in the league’s Disney bubble and has played in just four games this season. That has not stopped Haslem from playing a role in the Heat’s playoff run, which continued Tuesday night with Game 5 of Miami’s second-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said Haslem “was really the one that was controlling the huddles” in the fourth quarter of Miami’s Game 3 comeback win over the Bucks on Friday. Heat All-Stars Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler both credited Haslem for pulling them aside late in that game to deliver a pointed message.
“He literally came to me and said, ‘Do not let us lose this game,’” Butler said of Haslem’s message late in Game 3. “It was like, ‘Hit the switch, turn it on.’ And for him to be in my corner like that, he has played with some greats — let’s not get that wrong. For him to have that confidence in me, it goes a long way.”
Haslem, who has won three NBA championships, knows he can still help the Heat as a leader. It’s one of the reasons he hasn’t ruled out returning for an 18th NBA season.
“They can tell you my impact more than I can,” Haslem said to the Miami Herald in an interview conducted at the start of the playoffs. “I see when these guys respond to me. I see how something I say can change the way they perform, and the way they perform changes the game. Then the way it changes the game, we end up winning. So I see the domino effect of what I’m able to do, you know what I’m saying.
“As long as I can continue to have that effect, I’m going to continue to drive these guys. Because I know there are times guys wanted to quit or guys wanted to shut it down or guys have been mentally or physically exhausted or messed up in the head, and I’ve made a call or I’ve pulled them to the side or I went to his room or we went to dinner or we just hung out. And then I see a completely new person, and I’ve seen that translate into wins for us as a team.”
Haslem, who is earning the veteran’s minimum of $2.6 million, played a total of 44 minutes in four games during the regular season.
The Miami native has made it known he does not want to become a coach when his playing career comes to an end. The Heat’s all-time leading rebounder just wants to continue to help and serve his teammates under the label of team captain.
“I know there’s a need for me to continue to drive this and help these guys,” Haslem said. “That’s what it’s all about. I don’t have to do it the way coaches do it. I don’t have to do it the way that society thinks I should do it. I’m going to do it the way I want to do it. At the end of the day, if it’s helping my guys win games and it continues to move the needle and help us get to where we’re trying to go, that’s all that matters to me.”
As for retirement, that decision will come later.
“How do you do a retirement in a situation like this?” Haslem said. “Do I do a Zoom call and just have everybody sign in? So it’s just something to think about. But right now, I’m just focused on driving this boat. Like my boy D-Wade told me, ‘Just play out every season and take your time and figure it out in the offseason. You earned that.’ So I’m going to play out the season and I’m going to figure it out in the offseason. I earned that.”
FAMILY MATTERS
The NBA is allowing team staff, including coaches, to bring guests into the bubble starting with the conference finals, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Each team is allowed to host no more than a total of 10 staff guests at Disney.
Players were allowed to welcome guests into the bubble starting on Aug. 31.
Coaches and staff on the remaining playoff teams have been away from their families for the past nine weeks since arriving at Disney in early July.
“I think it’s great that the league acknowledged it and listened to our feedback about it,” Spoelstra said before Tuesday’s game. “Just that acknowledgment and empathy of understanding, everybody has had to make a sacrifice. But we all are active participants in this. Make no mistake about it, we all want to make this work, and these are not normal times. So, you have to do things with great discipline and adherence. But it’s great to know that. We just got the news today, so we’re not even focused on that today. We let our families know there’s a designated number. But we’ll get to that in the next few days.”
Spoelstra and wife, Nikki, have two sons — 2-year-old Santiago and Dante, who was born in December.
▪ The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Sam Amick reported Tuesday that Heat assistant general manager Adam Simon is among the candidates the Sacramento Kings have requested permission to interview for their head of basketball operations. Simon is currently with the Heat in the NBA’s Disney bubble.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 10:46 AM.
