Portland Trail Blazers center Hassan Whiteside believes he will receive a mixed reception when he is announced during his return to Miami on Sunday evening.
Whiteside — who rose to prominence during his five-year run with the Heat — said that while some fans are sure to make their displeasure known, he also hopes to hear some cheers in acknowledgement of his contributions to the franchise.
Via Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com:
“I'm expecting the standard “you're not on our team no more” boos, the away boos,” said Hassan Whiteside. “But I expect some cheers, too, because it was a lot of great memories here. From my first playoff appearance, being the third seed, going into the second round of the playoffs to getting injured in the second round of the playoffs to all of the different times that we went through. It was a lot of ups and downs, but I expect both.”
Whiteside had a brief stint with the Sacramento Kings at the start of the 2010s, but he was out of the league for two years before resurfacing with the Heat.
The mercurial big man would go on to lead the league in blocked shots in 2015-16 and rebounding the following season. However, Whiteside's massive salary paired with the emergence of Bam Adebayo — not to mention the questions surrounding his attitude and effort — made him a tradable asset this past summer.
Will Hassan Whiteside receive some of those cheers he is hoping for on Sunday night? Either way, it's going to be an interesting experience for the big man.
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