Udonis Haslem Gives Luke Kornet Instant Miami Street Cred With Nickname

Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem saw a lot of himself in Boston Celtics forward Luke Kornet's performance against the New York Knicks Wednesday.

Kornet had 10 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks in a 127-102 victory in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Celtics, who trail 3-2 in the series, kept their season alive.

"I'm an 'other guy,' so I love talking about the other guys," Haslem said. "He brought intensity. He brought tenacity. He guarded the rim and he got a couple buckets." 

Kornet did everything Haslem used to do for the Heat. He was the ultimate intangibles player alongside the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He parlayed that into becoming the Heat's all-time leader in rebounds while winning three championships. He is one of six Heat players with their jersey retired.

So it means a lot for Haslem to create a new nickname for Kornet by comparing him to Miami rap legend Luther Campbell of the 2 Live Crew. The group helped bring hip-hop music to South Florida in the mid-1980s, even associating itself with the Miami Hurricanes football program.

So Kornet should feel honored.

"They started him in the third quarter," Haslem said of Kornet. "He had FIVE blocks. His effort, his energy. I'm gonna change his name to Uncle Luke. We're talking about the one from 2 Live Crew."

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