Heat's Udonis Haslem Urges Police, Community to Work Together Amid Protests

Miami Heat veteran Udonis Haslem spoke on Sunday about the protests happening around the country following the killing of unarmed civilian George Floyd, who was pronounced dead at a hospital after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin had pinned his neck down for minutes during an arrest.

Haslem, who has several family members who work for the Miami Police Department, said he was torn between the need for protests and whether some of the response has been channeled the "right way":

"There definitely has to be justice for George [Floyd]; there definitely has to be protests for what happened to George. But I'd be lying if I said that it's been going about the right way. I'd be lying if I said that I'm proud of what's really been going on. I have an obligation to this community because this community has done so much for me. But I also have an obligation to the police department, as well. So many of my family members come here every day. They work, they take care of people, they make sure people are safe, so there's got to be a better way. I stand here right now confused, torn, frustrated. ... I just want to be a part of the solution. We have to have a plan moving forward. It has to be together."

Chauvin and the three other officers at the scene at the time of Floyd's killing—Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas K. Lane—were all fired. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, while the other officers have not been charged with any crimes at this time.

"They was terrible people before they put that badge on, man. For you to stand there and watch that, that ain't got nothing to do with your badge. That has nothing to do with your color. That has nothing to do with your race. That's something inside you that's messed up," Haslem said. "That's your soul that ain't right."

He also said he was scared as a father:

Haslem, 39, is from Miami and has spent his entire 17-year career with the Heat.