Longtime Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem told WQAM during a recent radio interview that Kyrie Irving’s trade to Boston did not surprise him.
Haslem noted that during his discussions with former teammate LeBron James they had not discussed the trade specifically, but the move reflected the mentality of the younger players in the league.
“But you know what? I can’t say I don’t believe it, because this younger generation, these guys want an opportunity, they want an opportunity to have their own team,” Haslem said. “They want an opportunity to be the best they could possibly be.”
The 15-year NBA veteran has been a cornerstone of the Heat franchise, but never grabbed any headlines on regular basis, especially playing beside former teammate Dwyane Wade. The experience of playing alongside superstars, especially during the Big 3 era, helped Haslem understand the importance leading of team without being the best player on the squad.
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“And LeBron’s such a great player. LeBron is the best player in basketball right now. So there’s no way to be the best player on your team as long as you’re playing on LeBron’s team,” Haslem said. “But there’s a fine line between that. There’s a fine line between wanting to be the best player on your team, wanting to be a leader, and also being able to lead, being able to take on those responsibilities that comes with that.”
Morever, Haslem also told WQAM that this year’s Heat team is as hungry to win as ever, even after some of the team’s core players signed big contracts in the offseason.
“Even these guys now, with Dion [Waiters] getting his change and James [Johnson] getting his change. These guys are still in the gym every day,” Haslem said. “The thing about it, we consider ourselves to be from the jungle, and we call ourselves ‘dog.’ But if you’re really from the jungle and you’re really a dog, you don’t get satisfied just because you get money or you don’t get satisfied just because you get recognition. You always find ways to motivate yourself.”
The Heat’s captain has seen it all during his time in the NBA and will play a key role in guiding the team this season.
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