"It was hilarious! It’s hilarious to look back on": Gabe Vincent recalls 'that' Bubble incident with Udonis Haslem and reveals key details
During the 2020 NBA bubble, a clip of Udonis Haslem trying to inspire his teammates went viral, and former Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent shared his experience. The Milwaukee Bucks won their Eastern Conference playoff series against Miami in the 2020-21 season.
During a recent interview with Sportskeeda's Mark Medina, Gabe Vincent recalled Haslem's sideline rant in Game 4 and gave some key details on what it was like to be in the firing line of the veteran's competitive spirit. Vincent noted how looking back, he finds the situation hilarious, as it was indicative of the Heat's culture and how they all hold each other accountable.
"In the bubble [in 2020 season restart,] UD [Udonis Haslem] cussed the whole team and threw a chair," Vincent told Medina. "That [stuff] was hilarious. It was hilarious! It’s hilarious to look back on, but it summed it up. You’re able to hold your brother accountable and you’re able to be real knowing we have this collective goal in mind and you’re able to speak plainly. You get straight to the bottom of it, find a solution and move forward."
Haslem spent 20 years with the Miami Heat and was seen as a core locker room leader in the twilight of his career. He won three NBA championships during his tenure with the Heat, so he knew what it took to win the biggest prize in basketball. At that moment, Haslem felt like his teammates weren't playing hard enough to overcome a tough Bucks team, so, he let them know what was expected of them.
From what I can remember, we weren’t playing hard," Gabe Vincent added. "I was a two-way player at the time. I wasn’t necessarily playing that game ... So sometimes you need that fire lit under you. UD did that. He had a great read in the locker room and created that space. That’s a credit to UD and his leadership and being able to have a feel for when more is needed.”
Despite Haslem's words of wisdom and Erik Spoelstra's elite coaching, the Heat were unable to taste success during that playoff run. Furthermore, Miami failed to close out their run in the 2023 NBA Finals as well, as they lost to the Denver Nuggets.
Gabe Vincent recently left the Miami Heat to join the Los Angeles Lakers
Earlier this summer, Gabe Vincent left South Beach and headed to LA, where he will team up with his new Los Angeles Lakers teammates. Vincent was a core part of the Miami Heat's playoff rotation. During his interview with Medina, Vincent discussed his free-agent experience and why he is excited to team up with the Lakers for the upcoming season.
"Things moved quickly for me when June 30th hit," Gabe Vincent said. "I tried to find the best situation for me and my family. Luckily, I landed here in LA and I'm looking forward to it. I'm here to compete and try to help this team win."
"Being a California kid, I'm excited to be back out West. I'll do what I can to help this prestigious organization," he said.
The Lakers have rebuilt their roster this summer and are expected to be in the mix to lift the Larry O'Brien trophy in 2024. The Heat, however, have spent the summer chasing Damian Lillard and will now head into the new season with a weakened roster and some tough decisions to make.