When Jaime Jaquez was drafted by the Heat last month, one of his first actions was to send a text message to Udonis Haslem, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Haslem has retired after 20 seasons in the NBA, but he still represents the epitome of Heat Culture and Jaquez thought it was important to show respect.
“I know he’s the OG of the Miami Heat,” Jaquez said. “I felt it was only right that I reach out to him first and just let him know that I’m excited to be here and ready to work.”
Haslem said during a recent radio interview that Jaquez is “definitely a culture guy,” and they continued to text each other throughout Summer League. Jaquez grew up in California as a Lakers fan, but he followed the Heat closely as well so he’s aware of Haslem’s importance to the franchise.
“I’m a basketball fan, I was a Heat fan,” Jaquez said. “I always loved the Lakers, but the Heat was always my No. 2 and I’ve just always known about him and his presence in the organization. Being a basketball fan, you know who he is.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Even though Haslem is officially retired, he’s still serving as a mentor to many of the team’s young players, Chiang adds. “I continue to stay connected to Orlando (Robinson), who had an amazing Summer League,” Haslem said. “I continue to stay connected to (Jamal) Cain, who had a hell of a Summer League, Niko (Nikola Jovic), who played well in the beginning (of Summer League), all these guys. There’s a next generation and I just continue to build relationships and bank equity with those guys.”
- Jaquez made a positive impression on Heat officials during Summer League, even though he was held out after injuring his shoulder in the second game, Chiang states in a separate story. Miami was also encouraged by the play of Jovic, last year’s first-round pick, who appeared in four games before joining the Serbian national team. “There’s a lot to like about his development so far,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of Jovic. “… You see the rebounding, you see the off-ball awareness defensively, his ability to take a rebound off the glass and push it in transition. These are skills that are really tough to teach. He has great vision.”
- Former NBA star Gary Payton, who was in Miami on Sunday as a coach in the Big3 League, sees Damian Lillard as a perfect addition for the Heat, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. “Dame had to make the decision: Do I want to keep doing what I do, or do I want to try to win a championship? And that’s what he wants to do now,” said Payton, who followed a similar path before coming to Miami late in his career. “It is just time, time for him to make a move to where he wants to go.”
Bro looks like Adam Driver.
Juan Wick!
Jaquez Jr. doing his best not become a trail blazer.
The time for Dame to go where wants to go is free agency. While he is under contract, he needs to be where the franchise sends him.
Bro do you even NBA
They have no obligation to trade him to the Heat, so yes, I think he NBAs.
Why does the franchise that offered him a contract to play for their team get to unload his contract how they see fit? Is signing an NBA contract the same as signing your freedom away to someone who’s now your owner?? Seems like pr the league doesn’t want no?
“It is just time, time for him to make a move to where he wants to go.” — You couldn’t be any more wrong there, Gary. It’s time for Dame to act like an adult and honor the contract he signed, regardless of where that is. A lot is said about “Heat culture” and they act like it’s something to be proud of, but this whole situation has shown me that Heat culture is total BS. It’s all about acting inappropriate and unprofessional. Miami has continuously tried to pressure Portland into giving Dame away. Last week, they made the argument that other teams haven’t made an offer because they don’t want to pay the rest of his contract. This week, they run out former players to make ridiculous statements.
If Lillard truly loved Portland like he said, he would step back and make the best of the situation he’s been given. If Miami can’t make an offer the Blazers should find the best deal to a contender they can. Like Denver, Milwaukee, LA’s, Boston, NY, BKN or Miami. It’s a business and entertainment (Corporate), so it will probably be league mandated for endorsement purposes? sure seemed like the Blazers and the association were showcasing him last season, 71 points and a push for the scoring title. They could have been better with teamwork but instead played Dame-time all the time, until the offense stagnated watching him. End Lame-time, bring on the Scoot and Sharpe show!
The problem with your “Dame-time all the time” is that he was in the top 10 in assists on a team that was likely the worst team he’s played on in his career. You’re right about him making “the best of the situation he’s been given”, but you’re as laughably wrong about the inference of him being a selfish player as any comment I’ve read here in a long, long time, and that’s truly saying something.
Hi Meadowlark, I appreciate your feedback. Lillard was in the top 10 in assists on a bad team that he was the PG on, but that doesn’t make him a good passer with the amount he dominated the ball on this team. If you were watching the team last year, you saw how well they started by playing unselfish. They played deep into the bench and found success in that style, going 10-4. Then when they decided to showcase Lillard (for sale?), starter’s minutes increased he became selfish and only seemed to pass when he had no other option. It showed how bad of a passer he was under pressure. As much as he dominated the ball he should have led the league in assists, sadly the offense was stagnant playing hero ball. This team was only as bad as its PG allowed it to be. If he was truly great, he would have made his teammates better. He chose to “not trust” his teammates and that led to him being selfish. He started the year saying it’s about TRUST and in the end he had zero trust in anyone but himself. Crazy how the league seem to highlight his scoring after that and promoted him, like he was being shopped. I hope you find some laughs in this old coaches insight. I enjoy your comments and the way you played for the globetrotters. You were truly great and an inspiration for many young ball players like I once was.