Udonis Haslem made the decision to re-sign and return to the Miami Heat for his twentieth NBA season, a landmark that was a goal for him. Despite not getting the playing time he once did in Miami, the big man has a vital role for the Heat, and that is as an enforcer of Heat culture Haslem recently sounded off about his role with the Heat and as a leader and what that means to him. He also commented earlier this summer about why he stays with the Heat as a player rather than transitioning to a coaching or front office position.
Now, Haslem has his eyes set on potential ownership with the franchise in which he has been called a Heat lifer. He has let the team know his desire to create communication about him joining the ownership ranks of the team. He spoke to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald about his ownership goals recently.
“It will continue to rev up,” Haslem said of ownership conversations with Heat executives. “I’m going to continue to have them. I’m very ambitious and I’ve been creating a lot of the communication. But they’ve been receptive.”
Haslem on Dwyane Wade Ownership Situation
Heat legend and friend of Haslem, Dwyane Wade, was also interested in joining the Heat’s ownership group, but ultimately it didn’t work out, and he ended up purchasing a stake in the Utah Jazz. Haslem noted that he doesn’t want that to happen in his negotiations and how important it is for people like him to stay with the organization.
“We have to figure it out, man,” Haslem said. “What we’re not going to do is let it end how it ended with Dwyane and a lot of other guys. We’re not going to let that happen. We have to learn from those mistakes and we have to do better, all of us. There’s too much sacrifice, too many memories, too much success to let it end that way because in the blink of an eye it can all be different. I’ve seen it. I’ve watched how in the blink of an eye, everything can change and all you will have is your memories and you want to share those with the people that you created them with.”
What Type of Owner Would Haslem be?
When asked what type of NBA owner he would be, Haslem told Chiang about the balance he’d have and the unique position he’s in to give players advice.
“Hybrid. I want to do everything,” Haslem said. “I want to learn everything from ticket sales to marketing. I want to travel, I want to be at practice. I want to actually be an owner that’s going to bring value and add value. I think the respect that I have around this league is probably second to none. That’s not me bragging. That’s just what I’ve gathered from everybody. People interact and react to me, and it even shocks me sometimes because a lot of times I don’t get a chance to meet or know these guys.
“I have all kinds of guys from other teams, including some superstars from other teams, reaching out and asking for advice because they value my advice and they value my opinion and I trust that. Often times, there’s a breakdown in trust when it comes to ownership and players. There’s never going to be that in this situation or any situation that involves me.”
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Udonis Haslem Sounds Off on Dwyane Wade Joining Utah Jazz Ownership Group in 2021