Udonis Haslem makes bold claim regarding 'Heat culture'

Udonis Haslem believes that 90% of NBA players couldn't survive within the Miami Heat's culture. He thinks that 45% of players wouldn't be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to fit within Erik Spoelstra's system, while the other 45% wouldn't be willing to do the dirty work that doesn't show up in the stat sheet. 

Haslem's comments came via a recent appearance on Shaquille O'Neal's "The Big Podcast." 

"I say maybe 10% of the league could survive Heat culture," Haslem said. "45% gonna bail out because they gotta sacrifice. And the other 45% gonna bail out because they gotta do the hard s--- every time. So that would only leave 10% that's made for Heat culture."

Heat culture is a term that's thrown around far too often. It's designed to praise Miami's ability to consistently remain competitive, regardless of what talent they have on their roster. It's a credit to the system that Erik Spoelstra has in place and the work of a scouting department that continually finds valuable role players who have been overlooked in the draft process.

Yes, Miami plays a unique brand of basketball. And yes, it requires a buy-in from everyone on the team, and that means sacrificing some touches and doing what's necessary to win. Yet, every player in the NBA wants to compete for a championship. It's unfair to assume that 90% of professional athletes within the league would struggle with making the adjustments necessary to succeed on South Beach. 

Still, the Heat have a proven track record of finding, developing or acquiring players of a certain skill set. They like their players to be physical, aggressive and have a high basketball IQ with a focus on playing robust defense. Haslem understands Heat culture better than most. He spent 20 years with the franchise. Nevertheless, it's fair to assume every player in the NBA could adapt to a certain system if given the opportunity. It just might take some longer than it would others.