Former Miami Heat Veteran Udonis Haslem Sounds Off On James Harden Situation

Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem emphasized the significance of good relationships amidst James Harden's latest comments.

The James Harden situation with Philadelphia 76ers owner Daryl Morey seemingly gets worse as the season approaches.

Weighing in on the ordeal is longtime Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem, who knows about the importance of strong organizational culture.

"I don't know what the answer to the question is, but I know they can't win like that," Haslem said on NBA GameTime Live. "If the goal is to win a championship, and one of your top players is coming out publicly saying, 'I don't want to be here but I'm gonna play'...I don't know how you put that together and get a championship. For me, he can probably play the season. But at this point nobody wants to waste a season, so it might be best for him to go elsewhere because nobody can win like that."

Haslem won three championships during his career with the Heat, playing alongside superstars like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler. He said the maintenance of good relationships off the court is just as important as on-court chemistry.

"I think a lot of people always wonder how the Miami Heat do it," Haslem said. "People feel like we don't have the best roster and things like that. But it's the connection, the habits that we build throughout the season. So when we get to a playoff series, we're more connected than anybody. We've already built seven, eight months of habits of being connected, competing every day together in the trenches, spending time on and off the court, knowing each other's families...Are you just playing for yourself or a teammate, or are you playing for a brother?"

Hopefully, Haslem can use his expertise and franchise connection for an assistant coach or management position.