NBA FINALS: HEAT VS. NUGGETS

May 31, 2023

Udonis Haslem

Miami Heat

Media Day

Q. How are you feeling?

UDONIS HASLEM: Good. Good. Excited. Excited about the opportunity. Great to be back here in the Finals. Looking forward to it.

Q. We're talking about 20 years with the Miami Heat. This could be quite a grand finale for you. How badly do you want that ring?

UDONIS HASLEM: I mean, I want it bad, but I want it for our guys. I want it for the guys that haven't won any. I want it for Jimmy Butler. I want it for those guys more so than anything. You know what I mean?

Of course it would be amazing to finish my career with a championship. Couldn't write it up any better. I would be appreciative. But for me it would be amazing to watch Jimmy and these guys that haven't experienced it get that ring.

Q. What makes this team different?

UDONIS HASLEM: I mean, it just continues to embody what the culture is about. You know what I mean? We've had our ups and downs this year. We've had injuries. We've had a thousand reasons to probably wave the flag, and we haven't. You know what I'm saying?

We just continue to keep our head down, chop wood, carry water, have each other's back, enjoy each other's success and believe in one another.

Through it all, you see we've got to this point. For me, I think this team just embodies more so of what Heat culture is all about. We're not for everybody. Doing the hard stuff. Just not for everybody. It's kind of hard over here. We work hard.

Q. Could you have envisioned a decade ago playing with the big three then 10 years later you'd still be an active player in the NBA?

UDONIS HASLEM: No, I kind of just figured I'd take it one year at a time. You know what I mean? Stay in shape, work hard, let my body communicate with me about how long I can do it.

My body's been pretty solid. I've had a little bit of Achilles things I've worked through this year. But my body has been pretty solid.

I think now I see the leadership. I see the culture. I see everything. When you watch Bam, when you watch Max, you watch Gabe, they don't need me any more. You know what I'm saying? You saw it in the Finals. You saw these guys grow up right in front of your eyes.

I have been part of the process, I know what they put in to get to this point. But I think the world has seen those guys grow up right in front of their eyes. My work is done as a leader.

Q. Don't you think you are kind of like another assistant coach still almost?

UDONIS HASLEM: No, no. The impact that I have with these guys is because I'm not a coach, because I can practice with these guys, because I can go through the drills, because I can go through the grueling hours, understand all of that. That's why I have the impact.

The reverse part of that, what people don't understand, if I'm out of shape, not capable of keeping up, they don't listen to me. I have been able to set the tone, compete at a high level for these guys to understand or respect what I'm saying.

Q. What advice do you give the guys?

UDONIS HASLEM: Enjoy it. Enjoy it, man. Enjoy this moment. That was one of my messages in the last series. If we get over this hump, you guys have no idea how enjoyable that next round will be.

I'm at this point in my career, just this point in my life, where I think memories are the most valuable things you're going to have. I've had the money, all these different things. None of that really matters. I think memories are priceless and I want these guys to create as many memories as possible right now.