Udonis Haslem knows Miami all too well, having spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Miami Heat. So, when Heat rookie Kasparas Jakucionis appeared on his OG’s Show, Haslem hilariously warned him to stay away from the streets of Miami.
“Hey, listen up, young fella, stay out them streets, too,” Haslem said. “Stay your a** in the house while you in Miami. That’s the OG advice for the day. Stay out them streets. We want to see your a** in the gym and in the gym only. Anything else is uncivilized and unwelcome. We don’t want none of that s***.
“In Miami, we seen so many people survive in the gym and lose in the streets,” Haslem continued. “Get their a** up out of here. OG advice, man. Enjoy Miami. It’s a great city, but obviously you know why you there. You know what you here for, and you’ve been away from your family for a long period of time.
“So, you’ve been holding yourself accountable, having those habits already built,” Haslem added. “So, I don’t think anything will change. But Miami boy, goddamn boy, it’s the devil’s playground. It is the devil’s playground at idle time. Get your a** in trouble.”
There are a lot of distractions on offer when you’re in Miami. The nightlife in particular is great, and it’s easy to get consumed by everything that comes your way as an NBA player.
Stephen Jackson recounted how his team once partied until 8 a.m. in Miami on the day of a game. They fortunately won the game, so the players weren’t in too much trouble.
Haslem wants Jakucionis to stay on track and not lose his way. The 19-year-old made it clear he shouldn’t be worried.
If Jakucionis does find himself in a spot of bother at some point, though, he can probably turn to Haslem. Dwyane Wade shared how his former teammate managed to get his car back after it was stolen in Miami.
Hopefully, the only thing Jakucionis will have to worry about next season will be impressing on the court for the Heat. The Lithuanian was selected with the 20th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and was viewed as a steal.
When Jakucionis did step out on the court for the Heat, though, the early signs weren’t great. He averaged just 4.0 points on 6.7% shooting from the field in the California Classic Summer League, and you couldn’t help but be a little bit concerned.
Jakucionis then allayed fears by faring much better in Las Vegas. The guard put up 15.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game for the Heat, and shot 44.8% from the field.
It will be interesting to see how big an impact Jakucionis makes as a rookie for the Heat. With Tyler Herro and Norman Powell in that backcourt, he definitely won’t be getting big minutes.
As for what Jakucionis would consider a successful rookie season, he boldly stated that it would take a championship. There is no harm in aiming high, but the Heat aren’t going to be contending for the title even with the East being so weak. They’re just not good enough, but if Jakucionis develops into a star, they could become a contender in a couple of years.
