Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem shared that he knew he liked guard Goran Dragic when the one-time All-Star threw his tooth at a referee.
“This motherf—– got his tooth knocked out — was it Atlanta?” Haslem asked.
Dragic then began to share the story of when his tooth was knocked out and he presented it to an official.
“Atlanta and Detroit,” Dragic responded. “Detroit when I got it, I throw it at the ref, you remember?”
Haslem didn’t hesitate to share his side of the hilarious story.
“He f—— threw his tooth,” Haslem said. “This motherf—– threw his tooth at the ref. That’s when I said, ‘I like this motherf—–.’ I was like, ‘I like this motherf—–. This motherf——‘s a goon.’”
When Dragic didn’t get the foul call that he was expecting, he made a point to show the ref what had happened on the play.
“I was dribbling, and the guy hit me with his elbow,” Dragic said. “I’m like, ‘Oh, god dammit.’ So I spit the tooth in my hand, and I showed the ref. ‘Motherf—–, call a foul.’ And I throw the tooth.”
Both Dragic and Haslem played together for several seasons in Miami, helping the team reach the NBA Finals in the 2019-20 season in the NBA’s Orlando, Fla. bubble. Both players are now retired from the NBA.
Dragic came to Miami during the 2014-15 season in a trade with the Phoenix Suns. He remained with the franchise through the 2020-21 season, and he was named an All-Star for the only time in his career with the Heat.
As a Heat player, Dragic averaged 16.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from 3-point range.
Haslem, who spent his entire career in Miami, won three titles with the franchise, but none of them came with Dragic on the team.
Still, it’s pretty evident that the two remain close, as Haslem had Dragic as a guest on his podcast.
Haslem’s role with Miami was limited in the later stages of his career, but he was a respected leader in the locker room. For Dragic to get his approval during his Heat tenure, it certainly shows just how tough of a player the veteran guard was.
Now, Dragic and Haslem can reminisce on the good times from their NBA careers, including Dragic’s amazing run-in with a referee.