Udonis Haslem was keen on his devotion to Miami, but he also lives the life of a dad in suburban Broward. He explains how he won’t be eliminated as the Heat prepare to honor him next week. (John McCall, South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Over the next week, Mr. 305 will be rightfully honored by the Miami Heat for his 20 seasons of service to the team and community.
Born and raised in the tough inner city of Miami, few players in any sport are more identified with home than Udonis Haslem.
Yet, for the past two decades, Mr. 305 has actually been Mr. 954, first living in Davie upon arrival in the Heat, and now living in the semi-rural setting of South West Ranch.
That in no way means turning his back on his roots. It’s the same thing that you often see in Miami-Dade in its philanthropic and entrepreneurial endeavors.
Just a husband and father, like many husbands and fathers, seeking a better life for the family he could only imagine growing up.
For Haslem, Broward is an oasis and Miami-Dade remains proud.
The suburban tranquility, he said, allows passion to blossom in both the locker room and community as he crosses county lines.
“I’ve always wanted to land,” the Heat’s 42-year-old captain said recently in front of the lockers at Miami-Dade Arena. “We don’t have a lot of land in Miami. We could get half an acre, an acre. But we needed something like four acres, and we knew where to find it.”
“I wanted my own peace and my own little house. And when I was away from everything I had to deal with, I could go there and recharge, do whatever I needed to do, and be ready for the next day.” I can.
And yes, like any commuter in South Florida, there are tradeoffs. It’s a traffic trade-off.
A lot of heat practice and shootaround timing means morning rush hour.
“Ask my driver,” Haslem said with a laugh when asked about the morning chaos. “I’m on my 4th. The fact that I’m on my 4th probably shows how they’ve been.
“I think it’s actually therapeutic. It’s one of the few times I have peace and quiet. I’ve learned to take control of my time. My time at home belongs to my wife and kids.” When I’m in the arena, my time belongs to the Heat and the team, so driving is my time, and sometimes I listen to the Isley Brothers, which my dad loved.”
Haslem doesn’t allow himself to get lost on his commute, what the 305 means to him, and how that passion must resonate while raising a family in a different setting. about it.
“I’m very careful that they’re privileged, that this isn’t real,” he said of the Southwest Ranch property. We make sure to take them with us so they can see a different side and what life is like for some people, not just ours.”
However, he said there was no question that he was also a slightly reformed Dade’s dad.
“They like to joke when I get a little excited,” he said of his three sons. “They like to say that my father in Dade County will come out, as opposed to my current father. I understand the rugged side.”
Liberty City continues to resonate.
“I take him to my grandmother’s house. I always spent a lot of time there when I was a kid,” he said. “Unfortunately her grandmother’s house was destroyed in a fire so it was nice to see her in Liberty City. A year ago her house was hit by an electrical fire.
“So they’ve seen where I came from, where it all began, and what life was like. And they’ve seen what they have, a better life.” I also understand why I work so hard to provide, and I think I have good kids who are grateful.
in the lane
Emotional Perspective: From the moment the Milwaukee Bucks presented him with his first offer of two 10-day contracts, to the latest guarantees that ensure the balance of the season, the former Heat Center Myers Leonard Leonard appreciates this opportunity for a second chance in the NBA after his career was derailed for two years following anti-Semitic slurs he uttered during a video game in 2021. “It changed my life,” Leonard told Journal Sentinel. It’s honestly hard to explain why.” Leonard, 31, said it was a long, introspective, and repentant road. These are the people who gave it to me.’ It literally changed my life. I love basketball, but they changed my life. It helped put the incident on the back burner.”
A veteran’s perspective: then there is Jay Crowdera former Heat teammate of Leonard’s run to the 2020 NBA Finals, who is also experiencing a comeback with the Bucks. Mike Budenholzer The veteran power forward said it has proven to be a quick study since it was added to the Feb. 9 NBA trading deadline. “Sometimes he’s doing what we’re supposed to do [that] A person who has been here for five years will not do well. I don’t know,” Budenholzer told the Arizona Republic. “He’s spot on. He’s sharp. His attention to detail is very high, very much appreciated, and that’s coming to the team’s mid-season trade deadline.”
PJ’s point of view: The Heat’s voice of reason last season, PJ Tucker Looking to offer the same to the Philadelphia 76ers. The veteran power who lost in the Eastern Conference Finals last season as the Heat’s No. 1 seed.The forward won his NBA title as the No. 3 seed with the Bucks, so he sees no reason to get too hung up on seeding. Told. In 2021. “It’s funny right now because all the strife for playoff positions and everybody’s trying to figure out seeding,” Tucker told the Philadelphia Inquirer. I’ve said countless times, I don’t care about seeds, I think more about how my team feels.” , allowing first-round matches between teams.
NCAA opinion: and Reggie Miller Former Heat coach opts out of NCAA Tournament broadcast duties Stan Van Gundy Added to the TV mix. That led him to reflect on the Orlando Sentinel in a one-off season as a coach at Wisconsin, landing him as an assistant to the Heat the following year in 1995-96. Pat RileyOf the Badgers’ tenure, Van Gundy said, “The first season wasn’t as good as it should have been, and you should own it as a coach.” , I was really lucky because Pat Riley was fired a few months before he moved to the Miami Heat, and I had a chance to step into the doors of the NBA. No, because I think the NBA suits me better as a coach than college.”
Personality Perspective: Considering his stops during his tenure with the Heat, he was a former Heat big man for the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons and now sub-. 500 Utah Jazz. Kelly Olynyk He has continued to earn respect as a teammate who is unwavering in any situation. ‘Kelly is a connective tissue. He’s definitely not talked about enough,’ says Jazz coach Will Hardy told the Desert News. “But he’s been such a luxury to our staff.” Houston Rockets coach Stephen Cyrus “At a time when we were really down as a group, he was a breath of fresh air to come here and show his professionalism.” Olynyk, 31, could enter the free-agent market in the offseason. high, and if waived by June 28, only $3 million of his $12.2 million annual salary is guaranteed in 2023-24.
number
24-13. The Heat’s home record is four home games remaining this season, one more home loss than last season, which ended 29-12. The Heat went 21-15 at home in the shortened 2020-21 season and 27-5 at home in the shortened 2019-20 season. The last time the Heat lost a home record was in the 2018-19 season when he lost 19-22.
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