Following The Heart: Udonis Haslem Makes Difficult Decision To Stay In Miami
It's official, Pat Riley is a mind controlling mutant! It's that or he's the best damn salesman in the history of sports.
The Sun-Sentinel reported first that Udonis Haslem will be re-signing with the Heat. It's been reported that he will be making less than a third of what he could have in deals from the Dallas Mavericks or Denver Nuggets.
"Turned down full mid level from Dallas and Denver. See u next season ,” Haslem said in a text message to the newspaper.
How the heck do you talk four of the top-20 players on the free-agent pool of 2010 to take less money? I just can't seem to wrap my hand around this notion. Not in a era where the dollar has out weighed the heart nearly every time.
This is unprecedented in the history of modern sports. I'm sure Red Auerbach is looking down on all of this with a smile stretching as wide as the Ohio peninsula...pun intended!
Mark Cuban on the other hand, is probably crying foul even louder now. He has accused the Heat of tampering and wants the NBA to investigate. Never mind the fact he has campaigned for high profile free-agents all season long.
Haslem and his difficult decision.
I'm a Miami native, "born and raised in the county of Wade."
I have meet Haslem several times on community assistance ventures and am very well aware of the large amount of people he takes care of financially.
This had to be a decision of the heart and nothing more. The dude can be loyal to a fault. The money he served to make would have benefited him and those that depend on him more than being apart of this possible DYNASTY.
Especially when one considers the fact that Chris Bosh plays at least 37 minutes per game on average.
Unless Haslem is going to return to being an under-sized center like he did for a vast majority of the 2008-2009 season. I don't see why he would return to a diminished role just to help the Heat...just to help Riley look even more like the greatest basketball mind of our era.
Riley pulls another rabbit out his hat.
Never the less. Riley has pulled off his third brilliant move of this very young off-season. And to think that the Heat are still in play to land Mike Miller.
How lucky or how incredibly brilliant can one man be? I guess the day of the dollar is gone and the times of loyalty has returned.
Maybe we should all take the time to stop wondering why LeBron made his "DECISION." And instead focus on how Pat Riley pulled off this free agent master piece.
And to think, the NBA version of Picasso has yet to finish his painting.
