After spending 20 long seasons with the Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem finally got his jersey lifted in the banners among other Heat legends. The number 40 will hang over current and future players, as they’ll get to see Haslem’s jersey up there, signifying his contributions to the Miami Heat franchise during his tenure. However, if there is one person who does not feel as if Haslem deserved to get his jersey retired, it is former NBA star, Paul Pierce.
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The Boston Celtics legend who was an analyst for a brief period took straight shots at Udonis Haslem and his entire 20-year career with the Heat. Pierce said, “This one given bro just saying.”
Paul Pierce stated that the Miami Heat just gave him his jersey retirement ceremony despite him not doing anything over his career to deserve it. Haslem, who is a three-time NBA champion with the Heat, did not have a strong enough case for Pierce to feel as if he deserved to get his jersey retired.
This statement would enrage anyone, Haslem included. But the 6’7 forward chose to take the high road instead. UD went on to comment on the Instagram post with Pierce’s statement regarding his jersey retirement.
“@paulpierce my first reaction was to choose violence but I’m gon spare cause I know you ain’t like that. You’re entitled to your opinion my boy!!!!”
Despite his dislike towards Pierce, Haslem was cordial and civilized, despite his negative thoughts about both Pierce and Garnett. Haslem had once revealed how he felt about not just Paul Pierce but Kevin Garnett as well while making an appearance on The OGs Show.
“I like Tatum, Brown, but them old motherfu**ers KG and Paul, I don’t f*ck with y’all. If I see y’all in the grocery store its on. I don’t care what aisle… It can be a 7/11 around the cheese dip, all of its getting flipped over.”
Udonis Haslem wasn’t the most athletically gifted player on the floor. Neither did he dominate any specific stat that would jump out from his resume. However, his contributions to the team and the franchise over 20 long years have been commendable.
Haslem was known to be the team veteran and always had some advice that he’d impart to the young guns. He was known to control the locker room aura and did not let any new player screw around with that.
A lot of people may not know this but UD also took pay cuts from the Heat. This was when they boasted a roster of Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James, three All-Stars with major contracts. While Haslem’s contributions may not show up on the floor or in the stat sheet, he absolutely has done a lot for the organization over the years.
Udonis Haslem goes easy on Paul Pierce
Udonis Haslem’s hatred towards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett is not something new. This originated way back in the early 2000s when both the Heat and the Celtics would meet in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
The rivalry took off when the Heat landed Chris Bosh and also LeBron James, making a new ‘Big Three’ in Miami. The Heat went on to lock horns with the Celtics on numerous occasions from 2010. And that is where the real hatred towards one another started.
As for Paul Pierce, after his statement regarding Udonis Haslem getting his jersey retired, one would think that The Truth just despises the Heat and almost all of its players. During his short stint as an analyst, Pierce claimed to have had a better career than Dwyane Wade.
As outrageous as it sounded, The Truth quickly got a reality check from co-hosts, fans, and even some current NBA players. So, be ready to see some Paul Pierce bashing on social media, not just from Heat fans but ball heads across the league and the world.
