Only Two!! Udonis Haslem: Unlikely rebounding story

[CHANGO]

Haslem will never be traded. This guy is pure loyalty. Respect for Mr. 305 and get those 2 rebounds fella!

MIAMI – On Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, Udonis Haslem will likely surpass Heat legend Alonzo Mourning as the franchise’s all-time leading rebounder.

All Haslem needs is two rebounds. Haslem has pulled down 4,806 rebounds in a Heat uniform while Mourning hauled in 4,807 during his tenure for the team.

How does a guy who’s generously listed at 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds become the rebounding champion of an NBA franchise that has existed for decades?

That’s the question I posed to three men whom collectively have coached Haslem since he was a teenager.

• Frank Martin -- Haslem’s former high school coach at Miami Senior High School and current head coach of the South Carolina University. Martin won the Big 12 Coach of the Year award in 2010 while at Kansas State. Haslem won two Florida state championships under Martin.
• David Thorpe -- ESPN.com Insider, NBA scout and executive director of the Pro Training Center, a workout haven for NBA players and aspiring NBA players alike. Thorpe is often credited as the coach who turned Haslem’s potential as an NBA player into a reality by teaching him his patented jump shot and the value of rebounding.
• Erik Spoelstra -- current Heat head coach and the longest-tenured coach of Haslem’s NBA career.

Here are the stories they told to help us understand how a player of Haslem’s size can stand so tall in NBA history.

Mr. 305
There are hometown heroes and then there is Udonis Haslem.

To understand Haslem, you must first understand where he came from. In June of 1980, he was born in a hospital seven miles from the Heat’s AmericanAirlines Arena. He grew up in the heart of Miami in an area called Liberty City, widely considered the most crime-ridden and bloodiest six square miles inside Miami’s city limits. That’s where Haslem was raised, where he was hardened.

After a brief stint up the road in Jacksonville, FL, he moved back to South Florida to attend Miami Senior high school, a basketball powerhouse with a national reputation. That’s where he played for Martin and won two state titles 1997 and 1998 alongside Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Blake. Martin speaks of Haslem like Haslem was his son.

Full story: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/mia...bounding-story

[Minimal]

Haslem will retire in Miami and will have his jersey hanging from the rafters. Indeed he is loyal like a dog. You can only show respect to this kind of guys.

[JNoel]

No doubt we're keeping him, but I really wouldn't mind seeing him retire after this season especially if we win the title. He will then stick around like Zo and get his jersey retired some day.

[flashwade03]

haslem will retire as a heat .. he deserves all of his accomplishments ( more ships than bron ) lol .. if u talk about hard work ! its UD !!

[beasted86]

Yeah there are a lot of bandwagon HEAT fans who try and throw U.D. under the bus along with Wade because they haven't been around and don't know how much they've done for this team, or the fact they are the longest tenured players in HEAT history.

Both of their jerseys will hang in the rafters, they are the newschool Mourning and Hardaway.

[SteBO]

Yeah there are a lot of bandwagon HEAT fans who try and throw U.D. under the bus along with Wade because they haven't been around and don't know how much they've done for this team, or the fact they are the longest tenured players in HEAT history.

Both of their jerseys will hang in the rafters, they are the newschool Mourning and Hardaway.

You summed it up perfectly here.

[Jemikz9Clutch]

Kudos to ud. I remember back then at '05 when there are times he's trashtalking with rasheed. I always said that he was like a nutcase because he looks like he's searching for a fight. Later i fully understand that he's like that because he's a guy you shouldnt push around. And if you do that, he wont back at you and give you a taste of your own medicine. A certified HEAT player.

[rex.reyesiii]

As a HeaT 2006 Bandwagoner, I can proudly say that UD is one of the reason why I jumped/rode in.

[Jemikz9Clutch]

Kudos to ud. I remember back then at '05 when there are times he's trashtalking with rasheed. I always said that he was like a nutcase because he looks like he's searching for a fight. Later i fully understand that he's like that because he's a guy you shouldnt push around. And if you do that, he wont back at you and give you a taste of your own medicine. A certified HEAT player.

[MiamiBoy77]

I love UD. I wear his jersey every game. He's the heart of this team. I would let him get away in a trade if it were HUGE but it would hurt to do. Not as much as wade but it would.

[king james]

Congrats Haslem you were a baller for us a long time and ur # will be retired by the Heat.

Now with all that said it's time for him to go. Pat do what u got to do and get us a quality C. If u have to use Haslem then do it. Now I know some r going to say that I'm not a true Heat fan becuz I want him out, but this isn't personal. Its about stocking this team up to make a long string of title runs. He got his 2 and now its time for him to go. He isn't half the player he was 2-3yrs ago becuz of injuries. He can't make jump shots anymore and if he can't do that for us anymore he is just a more athletic Joel Anthony.

I know I'm going to catch a lot of crap for saying this but the truth is the truth. He just not doing what we need from him. If he at least was able to make a jump shot I wouldn't have any beef but his shot looks absolutely horrible. Im more shock when he makes a jump shot now than when he misses one. Hey I give him props 4 all that he has done for the team. Taking less money to comeback and play for us when he could have gotten double his salary, playing hurt. But lets not act like this was a oneway street, he has received his fair share of benefits from being on this team. In the end this is about the better meant of the team and if u can use him to help get us a good C. then I say peace out.

Hey Zo left and came back why can't he do the same?

[flashelement]

So Haslem is the Heat's rebound king...Am I the only Heat fan that is not that impressed? Being the Miami Heat alltime rebounder is like having the most homeruns in Marlin's history. It's good trivia but really, who care? Alonzo didn't even play his whole career in a Heat uniform. His first 3 years were in Charlotte where he had the best rebounding numbers of his career, and here with the Heat he was sick half the time, not to mention the year in N.J. Alonzo's career rebounds 7137... Udonis 4814.

[MiamiBoy77]

So Haslem is the Heat's rebound king...Am I the only Heat fan that is not that impressed? Being the Miami Heat alltime rebounder is like having the most homeruns in Marlin's history. It's good trivia but really, who care? Alonzo didn't even play his whole career in a Heat uniform. His first 3 years were in Charlotte where he had the best rebounding numbers of his career, and here with the Heat he was sick half the time, not to mention the year in N.J. Alonzo's career rebounds 7137... Udonis 4814.

really?

[justinnum1]

So Haslem is the Heat's rebound king...Am I the only Heat fan that is not that impressed? Being the Miami Heat alltime rebounder is like having the most homeruns in Marlin's history. It's good trivia but really, who care? Alonzo didn't even play his whole career in a Heat uniform. His first 3 years were in Charlotte where he had the best rebounding numbers of his career, and here with the Heat he was sick half the time, not to mention the year in N.J. Alonzo's career rebounds 7137... Udonis 4814.

what's impressive is where UD came from...

[beasted86]

Congrats Haslem you were a baller for us a long time and ur # will be retired by the Heat.

Now with all that said it's time for him to go. Pat do what u got to do and get us a quality C. If u have to use Haslem then do it. Now I know some r going to say that I'm not a true Heat fan becuz I want him out, but this isn't personal. Its about stocking this team up to make a long string of title runs. He got his 2 and now its time for him to go. He isn't half the player he was 2-3yrs ago becuz of injuries. He can't make jump shots anymore and if he can't do that for us anymore he is just a more athletic Joel Anthony.

I know I'm going to catch a lot of crap for saying this but the truth is the truth. He just not doing what we need from him. If he at least was able to make a jump shot I wouldn't have any beef but his shot looks absolutely horrible. Im more shock when he makes a jump shot now than when he misses one. Hey I give him props 4 all that he has done for the team. Taking less money to comeback and play for us when he could have gotten double his salary, playing hurt. But lets not act like this was a oneway street, he has received his fair share of benefits from being on this team. In the end this is about the better meant of the team and if u can use him to help get us a good C. then I say peace out.

Hey Zo left and came back why can't he do the same?

Haslem is way down in production, and is still averaging 4.2 PPG, 5.1 REB, on 51% FG in only 17 minutes. If Joel Anthony was giving us that same production people would be lobbying for most improved player award.

I also easily find your comment laughable at the least, and idiotic at the worst seeing as Joel Anthony can't buy rotation minutes because he sucks so bad on offense, keeping in mind he makes the same money as Haslem.

As I've said, every single player is tradeable for the right package.... Wade and Haslem included, but they are severely undervalued by the average fan. You also ask the average bandwagon loser, and they actually think in their deluded minds that Wade and Haslem hurt the team when they are on the floor. Those posters are obviously are much smarter and intuitive than Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley.