Udonis Haslem has fired back at Paul Pierce for suggesting he did not deserve to have his jersey retired by the Miami Heat. Upon seeing Stephen Jackson's post congratulating the former Heat big man on an honor that was earned and not given, Pierce stated this one was indeed just given to Haslem. The comment went viral, and Haslem reacted to it on an Instagram post.
Well, I am glad Haslem is showing some restraint here. There is no love lost between these two, so it wasn't too surprising that Pierce took that shot. I'd say that Haslem did earn that jersey retirement, though.
He is the Heat's all-time leader in rebounds with 5,791 and Haslem's 879 games for Miami are second only to Dwyane Wade (948). The 43-year-old played all 20 seasons of his career with the Heat and is the only player apart from Wade, to have been a part of all three of their title-winning teams.
Sure, Haslem, with career averages of 7.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game, was never among the best players on the team at any point, but he was a valuable role player who was also an enforcer.
Even when his skills on the court started to diminish, Haslem played a big role in that locker room. The organization greatly appreciated everything he did, and if they think he deserved to have his jersey retired, who are we to argue about it?
Udonis Haslem Had Previously Said He'd Fight Paul Pierce And Kevin Garnett
Haslem and Pierce have been at odds for well over a decade at this point. It stemmed from their intense battles on the court when Haslem's Heat took on Pierce's Boston Celtics. They were so intense, that the hatred still burns very strongly in the big man's heart. Haslem stated he would fight Pierce and Kevin Garnett if he saw them in a grocery store.
We can be very glad then that he didn't cross paths with Pierce or Garnett off the court. The fact that Haslem still bears this much hatred considering he hasn't played against either of these two for years, is saying something.
Haslem Invited Pierce And Garnett To His Podcast
Prior to Pierce making this comment about his jersey retirement, Haslem actually did seem willing to settle their differences. Last week, Haslem invited Pierce and Garnett to his podcast to clear things out.
"Those rivalries we had, we felt a way about each other. I did not like them, and they probably didn't like me. So, if they want to come on this podcast, and we can talk that motherf-----, I'm down."
He might have changed that stance now after Pierce said he didn't exactly earn that jersey retirement. I'd fully expect these two to keep trading shots at each other on their respective podcasts moving forward.
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