Spoelstra on Heat’s hiring of Haslem: ‘He’s right where he should be.’ And Bam’s ‘buzzkill’ moment

Udonis Haslem’s playing career in the NBA was unique and it appears that trend will continue in retirement.

With the Heat announcing Tuesday the hiring of Haslem as the vice president of basketball development, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra labeled this unique role as “all-encompassing.”

“I think it’s phenomenal,” Spoelstra said following Wednesday’s morning shootaround in Memphis ahead of Wednesday night’s matchup against the Grizzlies at FedExForum. “I think we were all aware that it was going to happen at some point. He’s right where he should be and that’s fully involved in our organization from a culture standpoint and that will be all-encompassing.”

Haslem’s responsibilities will include being a source to the coaching staff, mentoring both Heat and Sioux Falls Skyforce (the Heat’s G League affiliate) players, as well as representing the organization in the community and in business endeavors.

“It will be time with us, time with the players in the locker room, time with the coaching staff, time with the front office and he even wants to learn the business as well,” Spoelstra continued. “That’s what you really admire about UD. He doesn’t want to just take a paycheck and punch the time clock. He wants to be involved, he wants to learn, he wants to continue to grow. This is a phenomenal first step for him and for our organization and our culture is to have the guy who really embodies the culture to be a continued caretaker as we move forward.”

Haslem, 43, joins the organization in a new role just five months after his playing career came to an end in June following a 20-year NBA career spent entirely with the Heat.

Haslem, a Miami native who spent the previous 16 seasons as a Heat captain, is only the third player to spend an entire NBA career lasting at least 20 seasons with one team. The others on that short list are Dirk Nowitzki (21 seasons with Dallas Mavericks) and Kobe Bryant (20 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers), and Haslem is the only one to do it in his hometown.

How hands on does Spoelstra want Haslem to be? Spoelstra grinned before answering the question on Wednesday.

“I’m well aware that he has a lot of things going on and family is a big part of it,” Spoelstra said. “When you transition from being a full-time professional athlete, I know [Haslem’s wife] Faith and the kids want him around a whole lot more. But they also want him to be involved in this. So he will be involved quite a bit, just like he has been. But I always want to be respectful of his transition. It doesn’t all have to happen right now with us.

“But certainly that’s where he moves the needle is the human management part, inspiring guys and teaching guys what the culture is supposed to be. So I think that’s kind of a long answer, but he’s going to be involved in all aspects.”

BAM’S ‘BUZZKILL’ MOMENT

There has still never been a 20-rebound triple double in Heat history.

That’s because the NBA, upon further review, took away one of Heat center Bam Adebayo’s rebounds from Monday’s home win over the Los Angeles Lakers. So instead of finishing with a triple-double that included 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, his final stat line ended up as 22 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists.

“I didn’t hear about it until we got on the airplane yesterday,” Spoelstra said Wednesday. “My first reaction was, that’s a buzzkill. C’mon, he was doing a big muscle workout on the glass. Let it go. I don’t know, was there a tip or whatever? That’s 20 rebounds in my book.”

The rebound that was removed from Adebayo’s stat line came in the second quarter of Monday’s contest (view the play here), when Adebayo blocked a Cam Reddish layup attempt and Duncan Robinson came away with the rebound instead of Adebayo. So while Adebayo had one rebound taken away, Robinson had one rebound added to his final stat line for that game.

“It’s whatever,” Adebayo said. “I’ve seen a lot of dudes get their stats padded and nobody bats an eye. But it’s all good. [I’ll] do it again.”

Adebayo insists he’s not mad on having his 20-rebound triple-double erased from the Heat record book.

“It’s part of basketball. It is what it is,” Adebayo said. “I just got to make sure I get my 20th rebound next time.”

TO SIOUX FALLS

The Heat sent Cole Swider and RJ Hampton to South Dakota to join the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, as part of their two-way contracts.

The Skyforce opens the regular season on Saturday against the Indiana Mad Ants in Sioux Falls.

Along with Swider and Hampton not being with the Heat, Jamal Cain (non-COVID illness), Nikola Jovic (non-COVID illness) and Caleb Martin (left knee tendinosis) remain out for Miami on Wednesday against the Grizzlies.

Martin was with the team in Memphis, but did not take part in Wednesday’s morning shootaround. Cain and Jovic remain back in Miami, but hope to re-join the team at some point during the four-game trip.