A lot of NBA players venture into some form of media after retirement. They still have the elite ball knowledge and know the field of players too well such that their expert commentary would be a nice product. There are levels to this because some have been doing podcasts while others are on live television. Udonis Haslem has been experiencing the latter half in the past few weeks while covering the NBA Playoffs for ESPN. The Miami Heat legend has garnered quite a following for his refreshing takes, one of those individuals in Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson.
Lakers legend makes his plea
The league will never be short of analysts. As long as there are a lot of players retiring from the association, the commentary and analysis of things like the NBA Playoffs will always have some integrity. But, there are just some who have an innate talent for it. Just recently, JJ Redick has shown that he had one of the best basketball minds and is now the favorite to land the Lakers coaching job. Another person on the rise is Udonis Haslem.
The Heat legend has been such a good member of the media so far. This has piqued Magic Johnson's interest so much that he wants him to be a staple when he comes to the shows. The Lakers great could not help but outline his eagerness to see Udonis Haslem from the sideline or in the studio a lot more.
“ESPN – You definitely have an excellent team of ex-players already with Kendrick Perkins, Jay Williams, Tim Legler, and JJ Reddick…but you should hire Udonis Haslem permanently! He's been spectacular in breaking down the NBA playoffs – from the players’ game and mentality to the X’s and O’s, as well as the philosophy of the game…Udonis has done it with intelligence, charisma, and flair. And he's funny too!” he said.
It may take a couple more games in the NBA Finals for him to really get that earned bag. For now, viewers can just enjoy and laugh along with him while he gives useful insights on how to properly view the game. They could be the next big thing since the NBA on TNT might get part apart.
An insane run with the Heat
If loyalty needed to be personified, it would largely point to someone like Haslem. Since joining the NBA, he has been very busy with his life. That did not mean that the effort was not there to be analytically great. His greatness also helped him become one of the best power forwards in his draft class. He was part of the legendary 2003 to 2004 NBA All-Rookie team and they were stacked.
His role with the Heat then kept getting bigger over time. Sitting on the sideline or watching it from the studio, Haslem's appearances are surely going to be valuable.
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