Haslem still pushing Heat toward championship goal: ‘He wants us to feel what it feels like’
Udonis Haslem’s playing career is over and his No. 40 Miami Heat jersey now hangs from the rafters at Kaseya Center, but he’s still pushing those on the roster behind the scenes.
“Bam [Adebayo], I’m still here, boy,” Haslem said toward the end of his 10-minute speech during his jersey retirement ceremony on Friday. “Just so you know, I’m still pushing championship expectations, Bam, Jimmy [Butler], Tyler [Herro], Niko [Jovic], Jaime [Jaquez Jr.], [Josh Richardson]. I’m still pushing championship expectations. I’m still going to be in your ear.”
Heat retires Udonis Haslem’s No. 40 jersey during emotional ceremony: ‘This is a dream come true’
The fact that Haslem singled out Adebayo first is not by accident. Adebayo, 26, became the Heat’s captain after Haslem, 43, gave up the leadership position when he retired at the end of last season.
Haslem, who spent the last 16 seasons of his 20-year NBA career as a Heat captain, dedicated the final chapter of his playing days to finding the player who could fill the leadership void his retirement would create. He identified Adebayo as that player a few seasons ago and spent the last few years helping to develop and nurture Adebayo’s leadership skills behind the scenes.
“He earned it,” Haslem said of passing on the captaincy to Adebayo. “That’s not something that we take lightly around here. To carry that responsibility of being the captain because the captain has to be the guy to set the example. We don’t talk about it. We do it. So here, we don’t focus on what we hear. We focus on what we see. If you’re going to be a captain, you’ve got to be the guy that sets the tone.”
With Haslem becoming just the sixth Heat player to have his jersey retired, Adebayo spoke about the impact Haslem has had on his NBA career.
“I’m the captain now, I guess that reflects it all,” Adebayo said ahead of Sunday night’s matchup against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. “Because coming into this league, I did not think I’d be a captain. Coming into this league, I was just like, ‘I’m just trying to get in where I fit in, get a couple dollars and move on with my life.’ So for him to have that much impact on me for me to be like, ‘Alright, I can be a captain for this type of organization.’”
That guidance has continued even with Haslem in retirement with “a lot of conversations, a lot of voice messages at 3 a.m. after losses about some of the most random plays in the game.”
“He’ll text me at 3 a.m. about a loose ball in the first two minutes of the game,” Adebayo said. “But that just speaks to who he is, how obsessed he is with the game and how obsessed he is with not only us getting wins but us getting to experience a championship.”
Haslem played a role on each of the franchise’s three championship teams in 2006, 2012 and 2013. Adebayo has played in two NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023, but has yet win a championship.
“He wants us to get one,” Adebayo said. “He wants us to feel what it feels like to get a championship. So the biggest thing for us is to really buy into that. He’s one of my best friends. I call him almost every day and my job is to make sure that happens.”
That relationship with Haslem is one that Adebayo does not take for granted.
“Since Day 1 since I met him, he’s always wanted to be the person that helps somebody get to the mountain top, get over that hump,” Adebayo said. “I’m blessed to have a captain like that in my life. Him and [Dwyane Wade], because they taught me so much about this game, they shared so much love to me. I can honestly never repay them.”
MIAMI LOVE
Haslem also has a unique relationship with Miami as a Miami native who spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Heat.
Haslem was born at Miami’s North Shore Medical Center and grew up in Liberty City before playing at Miami High, and then eventually becoming a Heat icon.
“Because I relate to everybody in this city. I’m relatable,” Haslem said when asked why he’s beloved in his hometown. “A lot of people look at us in a lot of different situations, and they really don’t feel like they can relate. I’m relatable, and I’ve been relatable. You have a better chance of probably being a Udonis Haslem than you have of being a LeBron James. You know what I’m saying? That’s no disrespect to ‘Bron, obviously. But most people ain’t going to be born 6-10, 280 and can run like a gazelle. It just doesn’t happen.”
Haslem is the only undrafted player in NBA history to lead a franchise in total rebounds.
“You have a better chance of being a guy that’s going to have to be a role player, that’s going to have to put that work in, keep your head down and just keep pushing and pushing and pushing until you have your breakthrough,” Haslem said. “Things that I go through, I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I don’t hide anything, so everybody in this city, everybody in this town, they come up to me and they can talk to me. I hold a conversation with you, I’m from where you’re from, and if there’s an opportunity for me to help, I will. That’s why we focus on the things we do with our foundation.”
INJURY REPORT
The Heat ruled out Jaquez (left groin strain), Jamal Cain (G League), RJ Hampton (G League) and Dru Smith (season-ending knee surgery) for Sunday’s game against the Magic in Orlando.
The only player unavailable for the Magic is Gary Harris (right calf strain).
