Hassan Whiteside
Really?
Hassan Whiteside, the player who posed Miami the most on and off-court trouble this season would be a good fit? The player who had team president Pat Riley saying “he has a lot of work to do” should have gotten a Team USA nod?
Absolutely.
Ambassadorship is a huge aspect of representing Team USA. Competition rarely falls stateside, and players are expected to represent their country with composure.
In that respect, Whiteside definitely fits the bill.
After getting selected with the No. 33 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft and before his big Miami break, Whiteside hooped internationally. He played in both Lebanon and China, unfortunately never making so much as a peep as far as international relations are concerned.
His international career is soon slated to continue too, with the commencement of the NBA’s Africa Game taking place just around the corner.
Despite butting heads with Joel Embiid (who is set to represent Team Africa) during the regular season, Whiteside will have to play against him once more, as a member of Team World.
Being able to keep his composure against his seemingly biggest NBA rival is a challenge enough for Whiteside, one that is only sure to be amplified by the international stage.
Therefore, joining Team USA then would ultimately be easy fare for Miami’s starting center.
On the other hand, it would also help instill some more added discipline in the 29-year-old, who recently found himself mouthing off to the media regarding his frustration over playing time. There would be no room for such antics in the Olympic Games, something Whiteside would have to quickly figure out on his own.