Getty Images Hassan Whiteside pumps up the crowd
Nobody ever wants to sit on the bench in the second half of a game watching their team lose. Especially when you’re supposed to be a star. Is there really anything worse than watching the final minutes wind down and knowing that your team cannot pull off the win? You start thinking about what could have been done differently in order to achieve victory. But by the time you look up at the time left on the scoreboard, it doesn’t even make a difference. Losing sucks, and it’s tough to deal with.
Sometimes, losing games can get the best out of an athlete. It doesn’t matter what caliber of the athlete either. You never know how somebody is going to react to a loss. For the Miami Heat, their star center Hassan Whiteside didn’t want to stay and watch the rest of the game on Tuesday night against the Orlando Magic. As the Heat were down a little over ten points with close to a minute left, Whiteside took off to the locker room early.
Did his team really need him? After all, he didn’t put up much of a fight in the second half, which landed him on the bench for the fourth quarter. Regardless of what happened though, it wasn’t a good look for Whiteside to take off early. However, the situation has been justified by Whiteside’s teammate, Dwayne Wade. The answer is typical, but it makes sense. You know, When you gotta’ go, you gotta’ go.
Why Did Hassan Whiteside Exit Early?
According to Miami Heat veteran, Dwayne Wade, Whiteside had to use the bathroom. That’s why the seven-foot big man took an early exit. Strange situation, yet understandable. What doesn’t make sense about the entire situation though is the fact that Whiteside didn’t care enough to explain to his head coach why he took off.
While Wade covered for his teammate to reporters, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra assumed that Whiteside left the game early based purely out of frustration. Seeing as though the Heat have been struggling to finish games consistently this season, the head coach understands that players are going to get upset.
What’s shocking though is that Spoelstra doesn’t seem to feel all that strongly towards Whiteside’s actions, which is strange since the coach appears unaware of the actual reason that he dipped out. Maybe Wade’s story is a cover-up, and Spoelstra will deal with the center behind the scenes. Regardless of the result of the situation though, the Heat have a lot to clean up after their loss to the Magic on Tuesday night.