Inside The Heat

Udonis Haslem Touched By Emotional J.Cole Story Involving NBA Player

Shandel Richardson

Jun 7, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Recording artist J. Cole walks off the court after game three of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Jun 7, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Recording artist J. Cole walks off the court after game three of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
In this story:

Rapper J. Cole has been associated with the NBA.

It is well know he is one of the best basketball players in the entertainment business. What was unknown is how he was there for player Dennis Smith Jr., when his stepmother died. Smith revealed the story during an appearance on the OG's podcast with former Miami Heat players Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller.

"I checked my phone because Cole was on the way to see me," Smith said. " He was flying up and my Pops was driving up from North Carolina. He don't like to fly. He's country. I see my Pops called me. I missed a call and he text me like, `My step mom just passed.' You know me, I don't want nobody to know so I'm just trying to go on my business. I think they end up telling the Knicks people what was going on. I'm trying to help them leave building because I don't really want nobody coming over trying to like put an arm on me. My brother Kamal was at the crib and we just sat there crying for a minute."

After the grieving, Smith was greeted by J. Cole at the door.

"When he got there, he was like, come out," Smith said. "He let me take his truck to the airport ... and let me be with my family at the time."

The story drew heartfelt reactions from Miller and especially Haslem.

"That's the (bleep) that makes you real," Haslem said.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here