Udonis Haslem finally admits flagrant foul on Tyler Hansbrough was intentional – NBA News
Udonis Haslem has admitted that the foul he committed on Tyler Hansbrough during game 5 of the series between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers was indeed intentional and was a retaliation for Tyler Hansbrough’s hard foul on Wade.
He revealed this on Saturday after team practice. Haslem was handed a flagrant 1 for his foul during the game, but the NBA reviewed the play and handed Haslem a one game suspension, ruling him out from game 6 of the series. The
Heat won the match without him and clinched the series 4-2.
“I can't imagine anything I wouldn't do for Dwyane” said Haslem.
Haslem and Wade have a long history together, as both have been in the Heat team for many years now. Haslem turned down many contracts that were paying him more than the Miami Heat to stay with the team.
When LeBron James and Chris Bosh were on their way to Miami, Wade himself went and talked to them to reduce their contract price so that the Heat could afford to keep Haslem in Miami.
Haslem watched game 6 from his hotel room and met with his teammates at the airport where Dwayne Wade handed him the game ball.
“For my brother. For his sacrifice. I don't think we win this series without him” Wade had said.
When asked about the bond between him and Haslem after practice on Saturday, Wade said:
"Like having a big brother going with you to school, No one is going to mess with you.”
So when Dwyane Wade landed on the floor in game 5 after the hard foul by Hansbrough and suffered a cut on his forehead, Haslem took some revenge from Hansbrough within less than a minute, by committing a hard foul of his own.
"OK. That's how it is going to be tonight? OK. Let's do that then” is what Haslem says he felt after the foul on Wade.
"It is all fun and games to beat up the Heat in the media, to say the Heat are soft. But as soon as the Heat take a stand and hit back, it's not funny anymore. Rabbit hunting is fun. But it ain't funny when the rabbit has the gun”
added Haslem.
Haslem had been having a rough series against Indiana, not making any difference in the first three games. However, he came up big in games 4 and 5 and gave Miami the support they needed in the absence of Chris Bosh. He was not
paid for game 6. The foul he committed cost him $34,000. Wade offered him his own game fee but Haslem refused, even though Wade makes much more than Haslem.
With the NBA Eastern Conference Finals around the corner, the bond between Wade and Haslem will be further tested, as will the mettle of the whole team.
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