The Miami Heat won the NBA title thanks in no small part to Ray Allen’s clutch three-pointer at the end of regulation in Game 6. Following Game 7 — after the last bit of confetti had fallen, and the final champagne bottle had been uncorked — forward Udonis Haslem (a guy who played just over 30 minutes the last four games against San Antonio) did what any player looking to ride LeBron & Co. to a third consecutive title would do: start recruiting the supporting cast to come back. How he went about doing that was a little…uncomfortable:
“I put the bug in his ear in the shower after the game,” Heat forward and co-captain Udonis Haslem said Monday, referring to a conversation he had with Allen after Game 7 on Thursday. “I told him, ‘I’m not going to put no pressure on you. I’m not going to ask you what you’re going to do. But just know that I’m thinking about what you’re going to do.'”
Considering Haslem violated a long-standing unwritten rule of male locker rooms (No Talking In The Shower, for you ladies), he shouldn’t have been surprised by Allen’s non-response:
Haslem said Allen didn’t offer a response as the Heat celebrated their second consecutive championship.
“I don’t know if that’s good or bad,” Haslem said.
Ray Allen has no incentive to leave Miami at this point, as he can just roll off screens until he can’t walk anymore. But broaching the subject in the shower, while a championship celebration is going on around you, probably isn’t the best way to go about things.
About John Ferensen