Ultra-domineering at the start of the last decade, Miami could count on its trio of orange ball monsters. However, an ex-teammate of the three men claims that nothing would have been possible without him! Spoiler, quite a few South Beach fans might agree with his opinion.
It’s hard to talk about the 2010s without mentioning the Miami Big Three. Between 2010 and 2014, the Heat led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will reach the Finals four times in a row, with two titles at stake. The bosses of the league, it was then them, the three superstars forming an unplayable association on the floors of the big league.
However, can we attribute to them all of the success of the franchise during these years? According to Udonis Haslem, the answer is clearly no. Recently interviewed by GQ, the South Beach veteran did not mince his words: he himself was a key part of the titles won by the Floridians. In fact, nothing would have been possible without him!
Udonis Haslem gives a big blow to the Heat’s Big Three
I don’t care what people say, I had my highlights and we wouldn’t have won any of these rings without me. I’ve done my job and that’s all you can do: stay ready so you don’t have to prepare. I had critical moments where I had to step in and hold the fort. Thank goodness Wade stood up and said, “We need that motherfucker. “
Given that Haslem was already on the decline at the time (around 6 points and 6 rebounds on average between 2011 and 2014), the inside quote may make some laugh. Still, let’s not forget that this is Miami’s best all-time rebounder, who has always been hugely respected for what he does. He also insists in his remarks, using in particular an analogy well enough found to support his arguments. He also adds that the Tres Amigos were well aware of this, which would have been seen by their actions:
You can surround some guys who are driving the bus, who are sitting on the bus, but if you don’t have someone who can change the tires and the oil, your bus won’t move. You need a guy like me: who will do the dirty work, who will take that load, who will do the things that won’t show up on the stats sheet, but will be synonymous with winning.
Wade got it, LeBron got it, Bosh got it. If they hadn’t figured it out, there was no way these guys would take less money and cut their slice of the pie to keep me. They didn’t know me. They didn’t need to do that. But they understood what I was bringing to the table and I was able to do it.
If Udonis Haslem is still in the Florida roster in 2021-22, while he is no longer playing, it is certainly not without reason. We are talking about a legend of the franchise, who has never hesitated to do the shadow work to help his own. Without supporters like him, it’s difficult to become a champion!
