Udonis Haslem is one of the best veterans in the NBA. Even though he hasn’t played regular basketball for the Miami Heat for the last 5 years, he will always have a job on the team until he chooses to retire. The Heat organization have immense respect for Haslem for his services for almost 20 years.
The on-court leader of the team is Jimmy Butler, another hard-nosed player that fits ‘Heat Culture‘. Butler’s grit and determination on the court made the Heat Eastern Conference Champions in 2020, and they are the #1 seed in the East this year. However, trouble may be brewing.
The Heat are having a tough game against the Golden State Warriors, with a loss looking likely. Tensions were high and the cameras picked up Butler and Haslem having a massive argument where they had to be restrained by teammates.
A+ clipboard smash pic.twitter.com/pFU0bIdJWj
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 24, 2022
“what? do you want me to f**king fight you?”https://t.co/NbvmlW55KM
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 24, 2022
The reasoning for the fight is still unclear, but that is not the kind of internal strife you see in a Miami Heat team. One of the biggest calling cards of the team is their united culture where everyone stays away from being flashy and focuses on the hard work needed to become NBA Champions.
Jimmy Butler is an ideal fit alongside an organization with such ethos. However, having strong-minded players can have drawbacks like the one we are seeing now. Arguments between teammates are nothing new, but for it to be happening on the bench in a loss with cameras capturing the entire incident is quite a bad look.
Coach Erik Spoelstra smashed his clipboard, so his frustration with the situation was also evident. Knowing the Miami Heat, they will most likely deal with this situation in the locker room and squash any beef between Haslem and Butler as they will need to be focused on finishing the regular season as the #1 seed in the East.
