Udonis Haslem offers unique idea for Miami Heat ownership
ORLANDO – New Miami Heat management title? Check.
No. 40 to the rafters at Kaseya Center? Check.
Ownership stake? For Udonis Haslem, apparently still an ongoing pursuit.
And perhaps a pursuit with a twist.
Having for years hinted at an ownership stake as the ultimate retirement tribute, the former Heat captain now is floating the idea of partnering with rapper, songwriter and recording executive Rick Ross, another Miami-Dade County original.
For now, Heat owner Micky Arison has kept the ownership suite in the family. But recently Haslem raised the notion of a partnership with Ross, an idea he further clarified last week to the Sun Sentinel ahead of the retirement of his No. 40 on Friday night at Kaseya Center.
“Still working on it,” Haslem said. “That is still part of the conversation and that’s another conversion I have to have with Nick (Arison, the Heat’s CEO). “I’m not a part of the ownership group yet, so I can’t really bring anybody in.
“So what I would say is Rick Ross would be a tremendous addition to the ownership group. But I’ve got to get my part taken care of first. I’m still working on that. For me, that’s still the ultimate goal.”
Haslem initially floated the idea on his The OGs podcast, pushing Ross toward interest.
“I know you got the money now,” Haslem said. “When you gonna make that play?”
Ross told Haslem to lead the way.
“I need y’all to walk me in there,” Ross said. “Come on, we gotta get us a piece of that Miami Heat.”
Said Haslem amid the back and forth, “In my mind I would love to see that, I would love to see that.”
Added Ross. “Hey, big homie, that’s a dream; that’s a dream for Rozay, you know, just to see, you know, the city, because it wouldn’t just be for me, iIt’ll be for the city.”
Heat President Pat Riley said last week that an increased role is possible with Haslem, now that Haslem is the team’s vice president of basketball development, although Riley did not address ownership. Instead, Riley pushed the notion of Haslem working closer with Erik Spoelstra’s coaching staff.
“I think once he gets his executive legs underneath him, there are a lot of things going on right now in UD’s life, some personal things that happened with the loss of his step-mother,” Riley said, with the Heat moving on to a Sunday game against the Orlando Magic. “So I think he’s going to be a real positive addition.
“I think UD in the next year or two or three, he’ll evolve into even a bigger role if he wants it. So I’ve always been on his butt about coaching. He doesn’t want to coach. But I’ve always been asking him to coach one day. Not to take Spo’s job, obviously, but to get involved in it because he is so great with players and they have so much respect for him that it’s hard to find those kinds of ex-players who can do that. So he will play a prominent role for us and he has a strong voice, and I respect his voice.”
