Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem recently made it clear that he still doesn’t have much love for Boston Celtics legends Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Haslem suggested that if he were to run into them in public — like at a grocery store — he’d be ready to fight, and he claimed that he told them that.
Pierce responded to Haslem’s comments during a recent media appearance.
“First of all, I’m tryna remember when he told me that ’cause I never remember hearin’ that,” Pierce said. “Second of all, when we played Miami when Udonis Haslem was out there, I don’t remember no hard screens, no hard fouls, no s— talkin’, and now that we in retirement tryna get our podcasts off, I’m startin’ to hear this hate. But that’s cool. I know I rub people the wrong way. I never liked Miami. I respected them. But it is what it is. I’d rather do it in a telephone booth, but if you need more room in a grocery store, that’s cool too. I’m a grown man. I ain’t dodgin’ nothin’, man.”
Pierce and Haslem have exchanged plenty of jabs lately, and this is the latest chapter. The beef may continue, but one has to hope that it never actually escalates into a physical altercation.
A four-time All-NBA selection, Pierce won a title in 2008 with the Celtics. Haslem won rings in 2006, 2012 and 2013 with the Heat. But it’s worth noting that their careers looked very different from a production standpoint, with Pierce establishing himself as a more prolific player individually. He retired with 10 All-Star nods and is a Hall of Famer today.
Haslem is still trying to add his Heat legacy these days, albeit in a different role. The 2022-23 season was his last run as a player, and he’s now working in the franchise’s front office. He’d undoubtedly love nothing more than to add another ring to his collection.
The Celtics and Heat have stood in each other’s way plenty in recent years, and this season could be more of the same depending on how things unfold in the Eastern Conference. Boston currently holds the No. 1 seed with a 44-12 record, while Miami holds the No. 8 seed with a 30-25 record.
Another playoff meeting between the two squads would give the retired Haslem a chance to gain more bragging rights if he were to help the Heat knock the Celtics out of the postseason.
