Haslem’s Heat career already out a storybook, but the ending? ‘Couldn’t write it up any better’

Miami Heat icon Udonis Haslem’s NBA career is already something out of a storybook and the ending to that story is turning out to be one that will be remembered for a long time.

Haslem’s 20th and final NBA season will end after a playoff run that’s already historic after the Heat became just the second No. 8 seed to advance to the NBA Finals. It marks Haslem’s seventh NBA Finals appearance in his career.

Four wins in the NBA Finals would not only give the Heat and Haslem their fourth NBA championship, but would also make the Heat the first No. 8 seed in league history to win the title. Haslem, who turns 43 on June 9, would also become the second-oldest player in NBA history to win the championship behind only Robert Parish.

“I want it bad, but I want it for our guys,” Haslem said ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. “I want it for the guys that haven’t won any. I want it for Jimmy Butler. I want it for those guys more so than anything.

“Of course it would be amazing to finish my career with a championship. Couldn’t write it up any better. I would be appreciative. But for me, it would be amazing to watch Jimmy and these guys that haven’t experienced it get that ring.”

Born and raised in Miami and undrafted out of Florida in 2002, Haslem has played a role on each of the franchise’s three championship teams in 2006, 2012 and 2013 and is the Heat’s all-time leading rebounder. He’s the only undrafted player in NBA history to lead a franchise in total rebounds.

But Haslem has not been a rotation regular for the last few seasons of his playing career, instead making an impact with his leadership as the Heat’s longtime captain. The feeling that the team underachieved this regular season frustrated him, but he has watched this Heat playoff run from the bench with pride.

“It just continues to embody what the culture is about,” said Haslem, who has logged two minutes of playing time this postseason. “You know what I mean? We’ve had our ups and downs this year. We’ve had injuries. We’ve had a thousand reasons to probably wave the flag, and we haven’t.

“Through it all, you see we’ve got to this point. For me, I think this team just embodies more so of what Heat culture is all about. We’re not for everybody. Doing the hard stuff. Just not for everybody. It’s kind of hard over here. We work hard.”

Haslem’s career almost ended seven weeks ago, when the Heat found itself trailing the Chicago Bulls by three points with three minutes left in the fourth quarter of the final Eastern Conference play-in game on April 14 before rallying to qualify for the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.

The Heat was also one loss from elimination on Monday, facing Game 7 of the East finals against the Celtics in Boston. But the Heat kept its season going then, too, to clinch a trip to the NBA Finals.

“I told him, it wasn’t in the script for us to lose Game 7 in Boston because he wasn’t going out like that,” Heat forward Kevin Love said. “U.D. is so special for this organization. It shows you that vets really do matter, 20 seasons, for an organization, in a place where he grew up, is truly a special thing.”

What has been Haslem’s advice to teammates entering the NBA Finals?

“Enjoy this moment,” Haslem said. “That was one of my messages in the last series. If we get over this hump, you guys have no idea how enjoyable that next round will be.

“I’m at this point in my career, just this point in my life, where I think memories are the most valuable things you’re going to have. I’ve had the money, all these different things. None of that really matters. I think memories are priceless and I want these guys to create as many memories as possible right now.”

Whatever happens in the NBA Finals, Haslem is ready for the next chapter of his life, and he believes the Heat is ready for that next chapter, too. But the ending to this chapter is still being written.

“I see the leadership. I see the culture. I see everything,” Haslem said. “When you watch Bam [Adebayo], when you watch Max [Strus], you watch Gabe [Vincent], they don’t need me anymore. I have been a part of the process, so I know what they put in to get to this point. But I think the world has seen those guys grow up right in front of their eyes. I think my work is done as a leader.”

BUTLER’S MISSION

When Adebayo tried to pass Butler the Eastern Conference championship trophy after the Heat’s Game 7 win in Boston on Monday, Butler shrugged off Adebayo and didn’t take it.

“It wasn’t disrespectful because I love Bam and I’ve very grateful to be able to win the Eastern Conference,” Butler said of that moment during an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews. “But I’ve done that before, I have. I want to win an NBA championship. That’s the reason why they put this squad together. I don’t play for the Eastern Conference finals MVP. I won’t play for the Finals MVP. I couldn’t care less. I play for Mr. O’Brien.”

In other words, all Butler wants is to be an NBA champion and lift the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy. He added that he gave his Eastern Conference finals MVP trophy to his father.

“Every time I play basketball, the end result that I want it to be is the championship trophy,” Butler said during the ESPN interview. “That’s it. You can take All-Stars. I don’t want to be a part of that anyway. You can take the All-NBA, couldn’t care less. All-Defensive team, don’t care. I really only want to win a championship.”

Of playing for the Heat, Butler said to ESPN: “It will be the last jersey that I wear.”