Miami Heat: Hollywood Legend, Denzel Washington, Coaches Them Up

The Miami Heat are on the cusp of moving on to the second round of the NBA Playoffs. After another dominating performance on Sunday evening, with Jimmy Butler exploding again in Game 4 as he had in Game 2 of the series, the Miami Heat now find themselves up 3-1 over the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks.

At some point prior to the game though, while in Atlanta, some of the Miami Heat players ran into a very random person. Well, he isn’t that “random”, as he is a legend of film and acting.

A chance encounter with one of the best to ever do it, Denzel Washington, it led to some words of wisdom for the Miami Heat. It comes via, Dru Major, a photographer and videographer who has worked with Kyle Lowry over time.

Though the totality of the encounter is in the above-linked video, Washington would close this meeting with some words of wisdom for the Miami Heat squad members who were present. Here is the specific part that really sticks out.

"Keep raising the standard, about how you carry yourselves, as you all do. Keep teaching. Keep leading. Keep following. You know, learn from the best, that’s what I’ve done. And pass it on. The last thing I’ll say, which I’ve said a lot of times.You’ll never see a U-Haul behind a hearse. I’ll say it again. You’ll never see a U-Haul behind a hearse. You can’t take it with you. Egyptians tried it. All they got was robbed. But, even money aside, you can’t take it with you, but you can leave it here."

The Miami Heat got a huge Game 4 win over the Hawks Sunday in the ATL. It’s no wonder they played as they did though, Denzel Washington had coached them up.

"Your influence. Your power. Your wisdom. Your ability to touch people. Cause everybody watching you all. Everybody got a favorite guy. I spoke to the Dodgers the other day. And I went in there with a Yankee hat on, I don’t care. Now I was speaking at the All-Star Game.But Elston Howard was a black player in the 60s and I wanted to be him. I tried to walk like him, you know. And stuff, you know. You know what y’all did! I tried to walk like him, I ended up playing catcher. You know, so you know that they’re watching and they’re following. And especially for the young boys, listen to your elders and lead quietly.{after a brief pause and that classic Denzel Washington grin}And Win."

What words from a true legend in his chosen game. It’s no wonder the Miami Heat came out to do what they did on Sunday—they were in the proximity of greatness immediately prior.

They had experienced legendary so close to the tip of the following game. This is the type of thing that can easily make athletes, especially high-level, competitive, and fiery guys like Miami Heat players anyway, run through brick walls!

The GOAT, Washington, would close with another bar! On the Miami Heat’s opponent, Trae Young, he would have this to say.

"And tell that little boy get a haircut. What kind of haircut he working with?"

“My man!”

Classic Denzel Washington. You just have to love it.