Florida Man Loves Finals
06/07/2023
By: Marissa Kasch
How Udonis Haslem & ‘Heat Culture’ Keep Ending Up in the NBA Finals
The Miami Heat have faced their fair share of doubt this season. They lost the opening-round play-in game before securing the 8-seed in the playoffs, but they proved skeptics wrong by beating the Bucks, Knicks, and Celtics to reach the Finals. The analytics said they had less than a 5 percent chance to beat Milwaukee, less than a 3 percent chance to beat Boston, and less than a 1 percent to beat all three. Yet, here they are. The Heat are still the underdogs that they have been all postseason, but that title has seemed to work in their favor. One veteran Heat player knows this franchise never stops fighting.
Udonis Haslem has been through almost every era of the Heat franchise and has seen it all. And though you likely won’t see him on the court, he remains the leader and voice of Miami’s mentality. Haslem is tied with LeBron James for active players who have played the most seasons in the NBA (20), so he’s as wise as they come.
‘Florida Man’ Seeks 4th Title
We’ve all seen the infamous “Florida Man” headlines, but Udonis Haslem may be the literal version of the Internet phenomenon. He grew up in Miami before making the trek to Gainesville to play for the Florida Gators. There, he became the first player in program history to play on four consecutive NCAA tournament teams. He also helped earn the Gators’ 97 wins, making him the player with the most wins in school history.
After his time at Florida, Haslem went undrafted (like much of the current Heat roster). He moved back to Miami and made his debut with the Heat in 2003. At the end of a 20-year career, Haslem is known to be one of the NBA’s best championship-winning role players.
Haslem’s Eras Tour
Haslem knows the Heat all too well. In Miami, he never goes out of style, and he has a reputation. Like Taylor Swift, he has his own eras within the Heat’s history, each one just as special as the last. Don’t worry though, NBA Finals tickets are still cheaper than Taylor Swift tickets.
Rookie → 1st Championship
In his rookie season (2003), Haslem played with Dwyane Wade (also a rookie) and Lamar Odom. The next season, Miami added another elite player: Shaquille O’Neal. Wade and Shaq formed the superstar duo that led the first Miami Heat championship (2006), and Haslem played a key role. Even though he averaged just over 6 points and 6 rebounds per game, he had a 17-and-10 double-double in the Game 6 closeout of the Finals.
Superteam Era → 2nd & 3rd Championships
Haslem’s biggest nod from teammates came in 2010 when LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade all took less than their maximums so he could remain a part of the Heat. That should tell you something about how vital Haslem is to the organization’s success. It was the same era that the Heat went to the Finals four times in four years. They won two rings.
Jimmy Buckets Era
For the last four years, Haslem has played in Miami’s Jimmy Butler era. As we all know, the Butler years have been nothing short of spectacular as the Heat have been to the playoffs every year since he signed in 2019. They reached the Finals in 2020 (bubble) before losing to the Lakers. And now, they’re back.
Haslem credited the superstars he has played alongside. He attributes his success as a role player to those he played with, knowing only the team over self. If his story tells us anything, it’s that you don’t need to be a superstar to leave your mark on a franchise, and the length of a career isn’t dependent on talent, but heart.
Heat Culture
Haslem takes pride in teaching teammates “Heat Culture.” And who better to teach them than the man who has played more than half of the seasons since the franchise began (1988)? He played alongside some of the most talented players in NBA history and made the playoffs in 16 of his 20 seasons. Not to mention that this is his seventh NBA Finals appearance and potentially his fourth ring.
According to Haslem, Heat Culture is discipline, accountability, work ethic, and enjoying somebody else’s success. He says there are no days off. More importantly, there is no offseason. To Haslem, Heat Culture is a lifestyle.
And though he doesn’t get much playing time at age 42, he remains a crucial part of Miami’s success. His wisdom from 20 years in the league and continuation of Heat Culture are what make him an invaluable leader to the team.
The hometown hero. The fan favorite. The player-coach. The Heat culture curator. This Florida man just loves Finals.
Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images