At the beginning, we need to reach a few consensuses:
First, Haslem is not a role player, and second, he can still impact the game.
Spiritual leader
"No matter what role you play, you will give it your all as soon as you step on the stage."
Haslem said in an interview before last Tuesday's game against the Charlotte Hornets, "In my career, I have played various roles, starting as the main starter, sixth man, and now the spiritual leader. Regardless of the role. No matter what role I play, I give it my all as soon as I get on the court and use every ounce of my energy on the court. Even though I have been in the NBA for more than ten years, the learning of basketball is still endless. Many parts need to be learned again, every time There will still be endless challenges to overcome in practice or games, and this is also the most fascinating part of the NBA."
Haslem, who has been in the league for 13 years, has gradually transformed from a main player into a spiritual leader, exerting his influence on the bench and in the lounge. Even when he is not on the court, Haslem does not sit still for a second. He spends most of his time on the bench. Teach the new generation and give more encouragement to the Lord.
"I want to make sure every player plays the Heat's style and attitude on the court."
"I'm eager to go off and fight, but even if I'm sitting on the bench, I will still devote every ounce of my energy on the court, including reminding my teammates of the situation on the court, motivating morale, and acting as a coach at the appropriate moment. This is my job. Responsibility to ensure that every Heat player plays the team's style and attitude on the court."
inherited
Haslem now spends more time leading the new generation of players, especially serving as a bridge between the players and the coaching staff and trainers. For example, before a recent away game against the Sixers, strength and conditioning coach Bill Foran hoped that Haslem could chat more with shy rookie Josh Richardson and led him to participate in the Heat's "activation" warm-up before the game. I always warm up alone on the mat in the lounge.
"The warm-up is an important part of my career. It is not only a warm-up, but also a pre-match ritual for the team to build morale. At the beginning of the season, I passed this spirit on to Justise Winslow, and now I have to lead Josh to complete the game. Get involved with the Heat.”
I try to get the coaches' message to the players, but in my own way and in my own words. Haslem knows that young players like Richardson, Winslow, Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Johnson must have the right leadership and example to break out of the cocoon, and I must be their example at the right moment.
sacrifice
"This is quite difficult for me. I love competing on the court. I can still contribute on the court without illness or injury. But I also understand that young people need to be given space and opportunities to grow. This can only be obtained by playing in person. Valuable experience and motivation for improvement, on the contrary, someone must sacrifice playing time to give it to the new generation."
When the team's main player Chris Bosh suffered from blood clots and missed the game, another main player Dwyane Wade had to take on more responsibilities to maintain the record, and Haslem became the lamb who had to sacrifice playing space.
Wade also talked about Haslem's sacrifice in a previous interview, "UD has always been a very good and very dedicated player. He always puts winning first. As long as he can win, he will do anything. This is why Every coach hopes to have players like Haslem who are willing to sacrifice for the team."
Haslem doesn't just help young players. When Joe Johnson was signed by the Heat, Haslem immediately helped the new Joe integrate into the team.
"The help UD provides is beyond imagination. Even if he is not on the court, he can contribute to the team."
The Heat were faltering at the start of the season, with a winning percentage of less than 50%, and Haslem regularly gave passionate speeches in the dugout to encourage the team.
“Sometimes I’ll write words of encouragement and reminders on the whiteboard before the coach comes into the dugout; other times I’ll choose to pull one or two players aside, usually younger players or newcomers. I explain to them the situation on the field and how to deal with it. I never use violent methods, such as throwing chairs and talking trash. On the contrary, the team is like brothers, and open-hearted communication is more helpful. "
"The message I want to convey is the core values of the team, the mission on the field and defense"
Sometimes, a few words in midfield can trigger huge chemical changes in the second half.
"I can observe the trend of the entire game from the beginning. If the opponent hits us when we are relaxed, the situation will not be good. The message I will convey at this time is, don't let me walk on the court. Don’t fool around for a second and show your professional attitude.”
A year ago, when Chris Bosh was retired in the middle of the season, Haslem was put on the starting list. Now, the tragedy has happened again. Bosh has relapsed, but there is someone else as a replacement.
"I can still fight"
"People will think that the reason why I don't play is because I am already old, but I can still play, but in order to allow the new generation to grow and learn on the court, some players' playing time must be divided up, so I sacrificed playing time. But that doesn’t mean I can’t fight hard. If I change my mentality, I can still affect the situation in different ways.”
But that doesn't mean Haslem isn't ready to play.
"Although Chris Bosh's injury allows me to have more playing time, I don't want him to get sick from the bottom of my heart, but no matter whether I am on the court or not or what role I play, I will still play every point of my strength. Helping the team. Winning is my most determined and pure goal on the court."
