Former Heat star Udonis Haslem gives only 10 percent of NBA roster chances to survive INTENSE Miami Heat culture

Udonis Haslem revealed that only 10% of NBA stars can survive the Miami Heat culture.

Former Heat star Udonis Haslem gives only 10 percent of NBA roster chances to survive INTENSE Miami Heat culture

Udonis Haslem alongside former teammates Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal. (Image via AUCH)

The Miami Heat is one of the most successful franchises in the NBA, since the early 2000s. With the advent of a certain Dwyane Wade, the Heat won their first championship back in 2006, which happened under the captaincy of Udonis Haslem.

While the Miami Heat were strong Playoff contenders before Shaquille O’Neal arrived in 2004 as well, it was only in 2006 that the first championship arrived. Since then, the franchise under the legendary Pat Riley has gone strength to strength, and has created many a superstar under their gamed ‘Heat culture.’

O’Neal has, in the past, talked about how it was this early slew of superstars who brought forth the winning culture that has since been known as the ‘Heat Culture.’ Regardless, Udonis Haslem, on a recent appearance on O’Neal’s The Big Podcast, claimed that a vast majority of NBA players will not be able to survive in the resultant Heat culture, anyway.

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He claimed that while 45% will simply not be allowed, the other45% will end up bailing out simply because they were being asked to do ‘hard s**t’ with respect to the franchise:

45 won’t be allowed coz they gotta sacrifice and other 45 gonna bail out coz they gonna do hard shit every time. So that would mean 10% that’s made for Heat culture. 

Haslem was then asked whether he was concerned with Shaquille O’Neal famous move to the Heat, considering he had a bit of a reputation during this time. Shaq had weight issues at the LA Lakers and was not regarded as the most disciplined of stars. However, instead of being concerned about Shaq, Haslem claimed he will have to raise his own game in order to be a worthy teammate to the Lakers icon:

No the first thing I thought about was, I gotta step my game up. You know what I mean? He didn’t come here to f**k around.

Hence, while Haslem believes only 10% of NBA stars can survive the Heat culture, Shaquille O’Neal was never doubted by the former franchise captain.

Shaquille O’Neal came to the Miami Heat to win another ring

Shaquille O’Neal had already won 3 NBA titles and was selected as the Finals MVP back-to-back, from 2000-2002. The player had already tasted championship victories but was still hungry to add to his collection when he joined the Miami Heat.

Shaq also once revealed that he was well aware that it was Dwyane Wade who was the superstar on the Heat team that he was joining. He claimed that he had already decided he wanted to join Wade when a move from the Lakers became apparent:

When I got to D-Wade, I was like, ‘I know you heard all the stories, it’s your team.‘ What I should have did in L.A… You’re the CEO, I’ll be the consultant. When the Lakers were talking about trading me, I was like, ‘I know where I wanna go.’ I wanna go back to Florida….. and play with him (Dwyane Wade).

Shaquille O’Neal obviously succeeded as well and played a huge part in the 2006 Championship-winning run. He later claimed that if it hadn’t been for injuries, the Heat during this time would have won another ring or 2, particularly in the following season.

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