Roughed Up by Ex-Pistons Star, Udonis Haslem Was Once Taken Down a Peg in Surreal NBA Encounter

Although Udonis Haslem entered the NBA draft a year ahead of Dwyane Wade, they both started their NBA careers in 2003. As a rookie in the league, Haslem had high expectations for himself. But he was soon put in his place by a Philadelphia 76ers legend. Following a small interaction with Derrick Coleman during his first game in the NBA, Haslem quickly realized how the veterans ran the league.

During his first-ever game, when Udonis Haslem had the ball, he was fouled by Derrick Coleman. Haslem was surprised by the physicality and how hard the foul was. So he asked Coleman if he was trying to hurt him. According to Haslem, Coleman replied, “Young fella, if I wanted to hurt you, you wouldn’t have got up.” The 3x champion then said to Mike Miller on their podcast, “And I looked back at him, and I thought about it. I said, Respect!“

Haslem liked what he heard from Coleman, so he decided to use it himself going forward. As Haslem slowly became a veteran in the NBA, he said the same thing to younger players after welcoming them to the NBA with some hard fouls.

Coleman was in the last stretch of his career. He was the first pick in the 1990 NBA draft. Coleman played against players like Shaquille O’Neal and many others who were extremely physical on the court. So hard fouls and physical plays were normal for him. Coleman played with the Detroit Pistons the following year in the 2004–05 season, which was his last season in the NBA.

For the Miami Heat, Udonis Haslem played as an enforcer on the court. Whether it was Dwyane Wade or the 15th player on the bench, Haslem was quick to have the backs of any of his teammates whenever they needed him.

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Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem changed the Miami Heat

As the Heat drafted Dwyane Wade in 2003, they had high hopes for him. His scoring ability was exceptional. Along with Wade, they also signed Haslem. Haslem spent a year in France after going undrafted in the 2002 NBA draft. During his time at the French League LNB Pro A, Haslem changed how he played the game. He became more defensively oriented, and his hustle was seen in every possession.

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The young duo led the team to the semi-finals in the playoffs, and this marked a new era for the Miami Heat. Since then, the Heat have stayed extremely competitive, and the two players have left their mark on the Heat franchise.

What do you think of Udonis Haslem’s ‘welcome to the NBA’ moment? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!