Keith Askins
Kind of went off the board with this one, as Keith Askins wasn’t exactly an All-Star caliber player, nor a well-rounded accomplished one.
But if Heat fans talk lovingly about Udonis Haslem being that hard-working guy that does all the little things, as well as be the epitome of a “Heat Lifer”, then the mold he was cut from would be that of Askins.
Undrafted out of Alabama, nothing about Askins’ game screamed “Wow!” at you. He wasn’t a scorer (career 3.8 ppg) or rebounder (2.9 rpg). He wasn’t necessarily someone you’d rely on in big moments. He was just a lunch pail guy, doing the dirty work, guarding multiple positions and occasionally hitting threes (35.5% for his career). Maybe Askins would have been better suited in today’s NBA, where his versatility and shooting could have helped him find a bigger niche.
Yet of all the players in Heat history, Askins has the fourth longest tenure in franchise history (nine seasons) and appeared in the fifth most games (486), and was the one player that bridged the gap from Ron Rothstein’s expansion era teams, to Pat Riley’s championship contenders. He would find his way to the Heat bench as a coach, and now is the director of college scouting for the team.
No, Keith Askins wasn’t a great player. He was just the original “Heat Lifer”. Just something that doesn’t appear in a box score.
Next: The No-Name All-Star