The Miami Heat had an unthinkable run back in the day. With star trio of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, the franchise won rings for fun. Alongside these icons, 41-year-old Udonis Haslem was also part of the setup. The veteran won two championships out of his three with James and co. He continues to feature with the Heat, and recently made a bold claim about his impact on the team during the early 2010s.

Haslem is entering his 19th season in the league. Only Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant have spent more time with one single team. Playing as a center-forward, Haslem played a pivotal role with the Heat. Although the stats sheets didn’t really show them, he was a menace for oppositions. Recently having lost his father, the ageing legend took a break before now returning to Heat practice.

Udonis Haslem makes controversial claim about LeBron James’ Heat squad’s success

The Miami Heat have benefited a whole lot from Haslem’s loyalty to the franchise. He can offer valuable words of advice to the youngsters, and can also play at the same time. The 3-time NBA champion also believes in instilling a Heat culture among their players – one that is built on discipline, work ethic and teamwork. And as he admitted himself, his Miami team when LeBron and the others were around wouldn’t have won anything without him.

In a long sit-down interview with GQ, Haslem spoke about Heat culture, the next generation of Miami Heat, and more. Upon being asked how he influenced the side’s transition into becoming a generational team, he said, “I don’t care what nobody say, I had my moments and we don’t win none of those rings without me. I did my job and that’s all you can do.” It was a brave statement from the 41-year-old, who believed that he often had to hold the fort down.

There is no doubt that Udonis Haslem’s contributions are supremely underrated, and go way beyond the stats sheets. But do you think Heat’s success in 2012 and 2013 was determined by the powerhouse? Have your say.

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