The Miami Heat making it to the 2020 NBA Finals was a prime example of strong leadership. One could argue that there were other teams in the Conference who had stronger teams on paper. But the Heat were more determined.
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Many attributed this to Jimmy Butler for his intense leadership, but one of their unsung heroes was Udonis Haslem. He kept motivating them from the sidelines and was almost like an assistant coach. Young star Tyler Herro recently spoke about how Haslem has been important for him and the team.
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Herro calls Haslem’s re-signing a double lottery
“There’s vets — and then there’s vets,” Herro wrote in the Players’ Tribune. “I feel blessed about the circumstances that I got to come up in last year, and this culture that I got to be a part of. But blessed is one thing. Having Udonis Haslem as your Big Vet, your first season in the league?? That’s like winning the lottery. And the fact that he re-upped this offseason, and now he’s back for another year? That’s pretty much like winning the lottery twice.”
The Heat offered him a one-year, $2.6 million veteran minimum contract, and the 40-year-old accepted to return for his 18th season.
USA Today via Reuters
The Miami Heat bench react after a play against the Los Angeles Lakers during the fourth quarter of game three of the 2020 NBA Finals. The Miami Heat won 115-104. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Miami Heat lucky to have a leader like Udonis Haslem
After going undrafted in the 2002 NBA Draft, Haslem played a season overseas before being signed by the Heat, his hometown team, in 2003. Since then he has been a rock for them. During his prime, he was an animal on defense. Despite being undersized at 6’8, he was still a huge presence on defense, and especially with rebounds.
Since the 2015-16 season, his role as a player has almost diminished. In five seasons, he has played 81 games, started just two, and averaged 7.2 minutes. But his role as a leader has just increased since then.
Jimmy Butler talked about how Haslem motivated him during the series against the Celtics, and even his half time speech during the Lakers vs Heat Finals showed how motivational and inspiring he was. The Heat went on to outscore the Lakers in the 2nd half of Game 2, but it wasn’t enough to get them the win.
Haslem is going to be vital for the Heat once again in the upcoming season. “I am the Miami Heat; the Miami Heat is me,” Haslem said after his re-signing. He knows his value to the organization, and he will be eager to prove it once the season begins.
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