MIAMI — It is with mixed emotions, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, that he approaches moments such as Saturday’s Udonis Haslem Night at Miami-Dade Arena.
No, not out of any sort of lack of respect for the 42-year-old team captain who is retiring after this 20th season with the team, but simply because the finish line now is near.
“He’s everything to our franchise, so we all are looking forward to him getting recognized for all that,” Spoelstra said, with the Heat hosting the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. “But I also feel a certain way about it, as well. I haven’t known a locker room as a head coach without UD in it, and I don’t want to start thinking about that yet.”
