Former College Roommates Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller Reunited in Miami

MIAMI -- There was more than one NBA player who wanted to join the Miami Heat on July 8. Moments after LeBron James announced his decision that would rock the league and turn the Heat into instant championship contenders, two former college roommates at the University of Florida got on the phone to discuss their futures.

"Me and Mike (Miller) spoke right after that," Heat mainstay Udonis Haslem said. "We were both talking about wanting to be a part of the team but there had to be sacrifices made, and those sacrifices were made."

Those came in how the contracts for Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh were structured. Instead of signing for the maximum amount allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the three superstars chose to sacrifice several million dollars in order to help sign the Gator duo to provide a huge boost to the Heat's bench. Michael Beasley, once considered the future of the franchise, also had to be practically given away to the Minnesota Timberwolves to make room under the salary cap.

Days later, Haslem and Miller committed to join the Heat after sign-and-trade deals with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors to officially land James and Bosh were completed.
Miller's friendship with LeBron was also a huge factor. They became close friends through their mutual association with Nike. Miller even named his son Maverick after LeBron's manager, and they were teammates for Team USA in 2007. The prospect of being teammates with two of his closest friends gave the Heat the edge over other teams vying for Miller's services.

"That really sealed it, to be quite honest with you," Miller said earlier this month at Miami's media day. "It made the decision a lot easier for me."

With so many injuries during the preseason preventing the Heat to fully jell as a unit, the team can at least count on the instant chemistry between Miller and Haslem.

"It was fun," Miller said after playing his first game as a member of the Heat. "We're pretty comfortable playing with each other. I pretty much know what he's going to do a lot of the time and he knows what I'm going to do. When you're in that kind of relationship and you understand it, that makes it a lot much easier."

While Haslem has a championship ring, Miller has yet to be a part of a team that has won a playoff series in the 10 years he's been in the league. Since the 2006 championship run, the Heat themselves have yet to win a playoff series.

Though all eyes are on the Big Three, the reserve roles that two good friends will provide for the Heat will be integral for them to make a deep run in the playoffs with an eye towards winning it all.

View the original article here