Udonis Haslem: 'LeBron James was the best player on the Heat but the most important player was Chris Bosh'

Giannis Antetokounmpo moved up from No. 90 to No. 89 in the rebounding all-time list after passing Chris Bosh -via HoopsHype / March 13, 2024

NBA Central: Norris Cole agrees that Chris Bosh was more important than LeBron James “Nobody is Bron, but D-Wade can put on a clinic and put 35….for a couple series if we needed him too. If CB was out for too long, we had nobody else like him.” (@GilsArenaShow) pic.twitter.com/mUtFJkCFx3 -via Twitter @TheNBACentral / March 7, 2024

Udonis Haslem spent 20 seasons wearing a Miami Heat jersey. Now, his jersey will forever hang from the rafters in the Heat’s home arena. During a halftime ceremony in the middle of Friday night’s game between the Heat and Atlanta Hawks at Kaseya Center, Haslem’s No. 40 jersey was retired by the organization. Haslem, 43, became the sixth Heat player to have his jersey retired, joining Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. “Look at the list of the guys I’m sitting with,” Haslem said, referring to the first five Heat players who had their jerseys retired and are already in the Basketball Hall of Fame. “That’s what’s huge to me. That’s what makes me feel so amazing is the core group of guys that I’m sitting with. Pat Riley ain’t just putting anybody up there. The Arisons ain’t just OK’ing anybody to go up in those rafters.” -via Miami Herald / January 20, 2024

However, he also pointed out the good things he got from there. “I spent three years there. I experienced all kinds of good things, a great school and a lesson for the future. I’ve been fortunate to have teammates who are future Hall of Famers [LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, or Kevin Love] and to get to play in the Finals”, he added. “As far as basketball goes, it’s a different dimension than Europe is miles away from the NBA in terms of organization and it’s unlikely that they will ever catch up in that regard”. -via EuroHoops.net / March 23, 2024

After the Pacers, the Lakers play Milwaukee, Memphis, Indiana (again), Brooklyn, Toronto and Washington on the road. The games with the Grizzlies and the Wizards will be on the second nights of back-to-backs. It’s an opportunity for the Lakers to make up ground in the playoff race — all the teams other than the Pacers and the Bucks are out of the playoff picture. “At the end of the day, we’re not really focused on seeding,” James said. “We’re just focused on what we can control. We can’t control the seedings if other teams are playing too well still. What you can control is go out and play and try to win as many games as you can and see where you land.” -via Los Angeles Times / March 23, 2024

Ryan Ward: Anthony Davis (bilateral Achilles tendinopathy) and LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) have been upgraded to AVAILABLE for tonight’s game vs. Philadelphia. -via Twitter @RyanWardLA / March 22, 2024

Speaking to Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, who also had successful NBA careers, Wall tells The OGs podcast hosts that he would “1,000 percent” be open to joining the Heat. “I talk about it all the time,” Wall says, as Haslem relays that he has had these multiple discussions with the 33-year-old about that very topic. -via Give Me Sport / March 13, 2024

Do you feel like every team should have their own Udonis Haslem on their team? LS: Yes. At least two or three veterans, that can actually still play, but any veterans that can help the guys. Show them how to play defense, how to move off the court. There’s a lot of situations off the court that guys don’t even know that be hitting them, and they don’t got nobody to talk to. You be in the locker room and just having so much talks about life situations, and it’s always good to have a veteran over there. Air hustling like, “Nah, don’t do it that way young fella, do it this way.” -via HoopsHype / February 25, 2024

Barry Jackson: During Haslem’s private dinner party for former teammates and coaches during his jersey retirement week, former Heat player Quentin Richardson suggested to Spoelstra and Riley that they pursue Delon Wright. -via Twitter @flasportsbuzz / February 22, 2024