“I had never seen domination like that” – Udonis Haslem on how impressed he was with Hassan Whiteside’s triple-double with blocks

Udonis Haslem played in the NBA for 20 years, so it’s safe to say he has seen some incredible performances from some of the greatest players to lace them up in the league. However, he recently admitted on his podcast, “The OGs,” that what he saw with Hassan Whiteside on January 15, 2015, was truly special.

Whiteside, a 7-footer from Gastonia, North Carolina, was playing in only his 18th game with the Miami Heat after the team took a gamble on him earlier in the season. Although Hassan had shown promise in a few games for the Heat, his potential was still uncertain when they faced the Bulls that night. However, by the end of the game, the Heat—especially Haslem—were convinced they had found the center the franchise had been looking for.

Sheer domination in only 24 minutes

That night, Miami had a tough assignment: going against a Bulls squad with All-Stars Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah, and Pau Gasol. However, Hassan was amped up for that game and exploded for a massive triple-double of 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 blocks. The stat line was historic, as it was the first triple-double in the franchise’s history that involved blocks.

Afterward, Haslem was in awe of what he had just witnessed from the young center.

“That game, that was crazy, what he did out there. Like, that's when he had a triple-double with blocks, and that was crazy. Dog, I ain't never seen nothing like that. I done played with Shaq, and I'm not, you know, obviously comparing because Shaq is one of the greatest basketball players that ever played the game, if not the greatest center. I had never seen domination like that,” UD gushed .

Haslem is a certified OG who isn’t prone to hyping any player. He’s earned a reputation as a tough "SOB" who keeps it honest and doesn’t hesitate to call out his teammates when necessary. So, for him to be impressed with Hassan’s performance said a lot.

“It was ridiculous. I had never seen nothing like that before, and I had played around some of the greatest centers. I've been around Shaq, I've been around Zo, and it's not to compare, you know, him, because they're Hall of Famers, you know what I'm saying? So much respect to what they've been able to do, but they couldn't do what he did. Hell no. That was crazy,” Haslem stressed.

Why Hassan was motivated to play well

Hassan began his career with the Sacramento Kings, a team that picked him in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft. However, his stint there was shortlived as the Kings waived him in 2012 in favor of veteran guard Aaron Brooks.

Fast-forward to 2015, Whiteside, who was dealing with a sprained ankle, saw that Brooks was on the Bulls roster. This gave him all the motivation he needed to endure the pain and deliver a performance of his career.

“I had a sprained ankle, I think, like two days before this, and we were just going to play the Bulls. And I'm like—I seen the roster, I knew Aaron Brooks was on the roster, and I'm like, 'Extra—tape me up extra, extra tape it up,” Whiteside disclosed.

Whiteside's NBA career lasted just ten seasons, with his final game played in 2022 before he retired a couple of years later. However, his remarkable performance against the Bulls will remain one of the defining moments of his career.

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