Miami Heat: Udonis Haslem on Mt.Rushmore… from this vantage
The Miami Heat have had some amazing talent, some worthy of a “top-four ever” slot. Is Udonis Haslem on their Mt. Rushmore though?
The Miami Heat have become quite the franchise in their relatively short existence. They have managed to achieve the long list of accolades that they have as a franchise on the backs of some of the greatest players that the league has ever had to offer.
From the greatest Heat player ever to lace them up in Dwyane Wade, to two of the greatest players and big men to ever play the game in Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning, all the way around to arguably the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball in LeBron James, the Miami Heat have been quite the fortunate franchise.
One player that hasn’t quite had the statistical career as some of the names mentioned above, although his impact on the franchise, the team, and the community is unquantifiable, is Udonis Haslem.
A tough man raised out of tough times, UD has come to not only epitomize the Miami Heat way, but has somehow managed to become the walking personification of the Miami Heat culture.
He has so much become a man that represents the Miami Heat the right way that it led one Miami Heat reporter, Shandel Richardson of Sports Illustrated, to ask if Udonis Haslem could ever “work his way into the Miami Heat Mount Rushmore Conversation”.
Well, that answer is no, but only because he is already on that mountain, depending on the way you look at it.
If you are looking at this question from an overall perspective, regardless of whether that person played the game or not, then the list goes as follows: Pat Riley, Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning, and LeBron James.
If you are looking at the question from a perspective of just players, then you make this slight alteration: Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal.
However, and lastly, if you take it from the perspective of players who played all, most, or at least around half of their time in Miami then you go Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Udonis Haslem.
So, it isn’t a regardless of how you view it type of scenario with UD, but there is a viable, relevant, and logical scenario where he is. You always give respect and credit to a player for being or staying in one place for an entire career or the majority of.
When the Heat only or mostly Heat only versions of that list is set to appear, it has to include Udonis’s name. There is no world where it couldn’t.
Next. 15 Greatest Dwyane Wade moments of all time. dark
That is why Udonis Haslem is on the Miami Heat’s Mt.Rushmore, depending on how you approach it.