The Refs Saved Dwight Howard's Life Tonight
There aren't many NBA players truly about that life. Udonis Haslem is rarified air when it comes to striking fear in the hearts of those who dare to cross him. You didn't hear this from me but there's no logical reason for UD to be on an active NBA roster in 2021. A coach? Undoubtedly. Sitting at the end of the bench brandishing a pistol and staring down the opposition? I'm sure Adam Silver would be against it, but I think it suits him well. But UD is such a force the Heat can't not keep him on the bench, in uniform, for moments like this. You want the Sixers to know that shit aint sweet heading into the playoffs, this sends that message loud and clear. And make no mistake about it, this was an earned ejection in every sense of the word. If any two other NBA players were involved I'd say it was the softest ejection of all time. Haslemberg? Things would've turned ugly quick and in a hurry had the refs let him stick around any longer. The glimmer of pride in Pat Riley's eyes tells you all you need to know about UD's genuine intentions here.
Pat Riley's internal monologue sounded something like:
Mask covering the vast majority of his face and you can still see the smile gushing out of Riley's soul. UD has a job with the Heat, whichever job he would like, as long as he wants to keep making the annual trip to sign his name on the dotted line. Nights like this are exactly why. You can find rebounders, shooters, defenders, really any skillset in a given draft. The tools in Haslem's box? Those are a bit harder to find.
