Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce recently earned the ire of some Miami Heat fans after the retired players were dismissive of the team’s chances this season.
Heat veteran Udonis Haslem was apparently not pleased with their statements, as he took to social media and fired shots at his former rivals.
The 42-year-old’s defense of the Heat will likely evoke memories of how Miami contributed to the downfall of the Boston Celtics era that was led by Pierce and Garnett.
Boston transformed into a perennial playoff contender following the creation of its Big 3 of Pierce, Garnett and Ray Allen in 2007. The franchise won the title in the 2007-08 season and went to the NBA Finals again in 2010.
However, a trio of stars also came together in Miami in the 2010 offseason after LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade. After that, the Pierce-led Celtics failed to make a return to the NBA Finals, falling to the Heat in the 2011 conference semifinals and 2012 conference finals.
While the Heat’s Big 3 did the brunt of the work during those battles, Miami’s role players, including Haslem, also provided significant contributions.
Knowing that its title window had closed, Boston decided to break up its roster in the 2013 offseason, sending Pierce and Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets in a trade package that included a handful of Brooklyn’s future draft picks.
Today, the former Celtics stars are retired. On the other hand, Haslem is still an active player who is looking to help the Heat make another run to the NBA Finals this season.
Unfortunately, Miami is struggling to start the 2022-23 campaign. It is currently near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with a 2-5 record. The good news is that there is still a lot of basketball to be played this season, providing the Heat with plenty of chances to turn things around.
However, the squad needs to work on both its offense and defense. In the 2021-22 season, Miami ranked in the top 15 in both offensive rating and defensive rating. So far this season, it is 24th in offensive rating and 18th in defensive rating.