Golf isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. As many describe it, golfing is a battle against yourself. Some already have the flair for it while others need strong determination to stay focused on it. Udonis Haslem also tried his hands on it, only to face a fiery competitor who was driven by a strong competitive fire fueled by NBA legend Scottie Pippen. 

In the latest episode of The OGs podcast, the hosts welcomed NBA star James Johnson. After a candid conversation about his career, Haslem asked the veteran about his golfing skills. For those who aren’t aware, Haslem had a hard time with golf. He detailed how he was consistently bad at golfing. 

During one of these golfing stints, Haslem suffered a tough defeat against Johnson to realize how serious he was about the sport.“When we went out there, when it was the pandemic and me and you and K.O. went out there? Man, if I hold number nine, I was seeing doubles. I was number nine,” Haslem recounted on The OGs podcast.

He had expected him to be better than Johnson, however, the Heat legend realized how good and talented Johnson was in golf. “And that’s when I knew you was real with this. And I’m thinking ‘I’m finna invite you and KO. And I’m finna be the vet.’ And then y’all kick my motherf*****g a** out there,” Haslem confessed.

The NBA star sympathized with Haslem, recalling how he too had been embarrassed by his golfing skills when playing alongside Pippen and Kukoc.

James Johnson’s competitive fire was fueled by Scottie Pippen 

The Pacers star initially wasn’t as skilled as he is now. He even took golf lessons from Arnold Palmer. Ultimately, however, it was the Chicago Bulls legend who helped him grasp the true essence of the game. Johnson revealed that his first experience with golf was with Pippen and Kukoc. 

Contrary to his judgment, his golfing skills were much worse than he had expected. Everyone around him treated at the golf course him like a child who was new to the game. Realizing he wanted to improve, that was when the Pacers star decided to take the challenge seriously. 

“I was no good with that. My mentality clicked in again. I was like, I’m going to be the best at golfing. I’m going to be the best at golfing,” Johnson shared. Haslem, who had been listening to Johnson, agreed with his desire for growth. Both had it quite the hard way.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.