Udonis Haslem and the Miami Heat last faced Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and the Boston Celtics over a decade ago. Even now, after retiring from the league, Haslem has no affection for his old opponents. On ‘The OGs Show,’ Haslem confessed his hate for the former Celtics players, even claiming he’d throw hands if he ever ran into them again in person.
“I like Tatum and Brown, but I don’t f*ck with those old motherfu**ers KG and Paul.” It’s on if I see you in the grocery store. “I don’t care which aisle,” Haslem replied. “It can be a 7/11 around the cheese dip, all of it getting flipped over.”
Haslem battled Boston multiple times in the postseason throughout his 20-year career with the Miami Heat. The Heat defeated the Celtics and its two stars on several times in way to their championship run with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, but it appears the animosity goes far deeper than their battles on the field. Boston had a fairly contentious image back in the day, thanks in part to their violent playstyle and furious trash-talking, and they made more than their fair share of enemies.
The Original Celtics are widely reviled.
While you couldn’t dispute with their on-court performance, the Celtics of the mid to late 2000s were not well-liked by their contemporaries. Apparently, KG and Paul used to say some pretty insane things on the court, and they resorted to less-than-favorable techniques in the eyes of the competition. Former NBA veteran Richard Jefferson went on to brand Pierce and Garnett the “worst human beings of all time” and bullies in the NBA community.
For years, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett led the Celtics to greatness, but they were only able to win one title together. After years of pissing off their most powerful
Heat And Celtics Have a Long History
The Boston Celtics have long been the most successful franchise in the NBA, but the Heat have been right there with them for the most of modern-day basketball history. It took LeBron James several years to defeat the Celtics’ big three, as he lost to them thrice in the Semifinals from 2008 to 2010. However, James would eventually get his revenge on Boston by leading Miami to victories in 2011 and 2012.
Today, there are indications that things are changing in the East. The Celtics have the NBA in a chokehold right now, thanks to a new regime led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.