The Miami Heat's underdog identity extends much further than their status as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. As they try to come back from a 2-1 deficit in the NBA Finals against Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the heavily favored Denver Nuggets, the Heat will be relying on as many as five rotation players who began their NBA careers without hearing their name called on draft night.
Udonis Haslem, obviously, isn't among them. As undrafted teammates like Caleb Martin continue showing out on basketball's brightest stage, though, Haslem's singular influence looms extremely large to Miami's hopes of winning the title regardless.
“He has meant everything to me,” Martin said of Haslem during Thursday's media availability. “He is on the Mount Rushmore of undrafted guys who have made a living in this league. I'm so fortunate to have someone like him, to be under his wing and take advice from him and just learn from him. It's been an honor, for sure, to be around him and to be able to learn from him. I've had a big-time luxury of having him on the team and being a part of this run.”
Duncan Robinson joins Martin off the bench as an indispensable cog of the Heat's run to the Finals. Gabe Vincent and Max Strus are entrenched for Miami as undrafted starters, while reserve forward Haywood Highsmith has played a pivotal defensive role when called upon throughout the playoffs—including during the Heat's future fourth-quarter comeback attempt in Game 1 against Denver.
Haslem, the oldest player in the league at 42, will end his storied career once the Finals come to a close. You won't see him on an NBA floor again unless it's in garbage time. Rest assured the Heat will feel his palpable impact either way, both as the championship series continues and as Haslem shifts to a different role within the organization in years to come.
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