Wade, Haslem share plenty of ties that bind

MIAMI (AP) -- They came into the league together, simultaneously stepping onto the floor for the first time as Miami Heat rookies on Oct. 28, 2003.

Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem have been inseparable ever since.

One's graceful, the other gritty.

One goes by "Flash," the other is fierce.

Heart and soul. As far as the Heat are concerned, on that front, they're interchangeable.

The Heat captains have played together seven seasons, an NBA eternity. Only 15 current teammate duos have been together that long, according to STATS LLC, and of those, just eight -- Wade and Haslem included -- have won a championship. What could become their final quest for another begins Saturday in Boston, where the Heat will meet the Celtics in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round series.

"Just as much as this is my team," Wade said, "it's his team, too."

On the surface, they couldn't seem more different. And some would also say Wade and Haslem -- both of whom will be free agents this summer, and could wind up going separate ways -- are exactly the same.

Wade is the polished one, nattily attired after games in crisp shirts and perfectly knotted ties. Haslem is the more casual guy, jeans and tank tops suiting him fine. Wade doesn't have tattoos, Haslem has more than anyone could count in one sitting. Wade is the superstar with endorsement deals that make him millions, Haslem's deal with Converse ended last fall and he kept wearing their shoes.

They are the leaders, plain and simple.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra insists they've never been better in that role, either.

"I've gotten less texts this year than ever," Haslem said. "I've used less profanity this year than ever. And still, this is my best year being a leader. I guess that's what you call getting older, more experienced. I'm finding different ways to motivate guys, to channel my energy and my emotions. Everybody's not motivated the same. I can't approach every player the same way."

It starts there. Changing approaches has become second-nature to Haslem.

A starter for most of his first six seasons (the exception being two-thirds of his rookie campaign), Haslem came off the bench in each of his 78 appearances this year, making room for Michael Beasley to become the first-stringer at power forward. Haslem's numbers barely changed; he averaged 28 minutes, 9.9 points and 8.1 rebounds, all just about in line with his career stats entering the year.

Haslem finished the season with 21 double-doubles, the most by an NBA reserve. The last time a reserve had more in a season was a decade ago, when Jerome Williams had 22 for Detroit.

And when the Heat finished the year with 18 wins in 22 games, Haslem was right there with Wade as the big reason why.

"He was as steady as anyone," Spoelstra said. "It's so easy as a professional when you lose some games or you're not meeting perceived expectations, it's easy to quit or go the other way or point fingers or make it about anything but the game. ... He understood the big picture and understood that we needed him and Dwyane to be rock-solid and lead the way for us to turn it around."

Much like Wade, Haslem plays hurt, plays sick, doesn't like talking about injuries and hardly ever complains.

The best reminder of that was in the 2006 NBA finals. Game 6 in Dallas, the night where the Heat won the title, Haslem came through with 17 points and 10 rebounds -- despite having his left shoulder tightly bandaged, an injury so serious he likely wouldn't have played if a championship hadn't been at stake.

Wade absolutely stole the show in that series, putting up a dazzling display of offense and earning the NBA finals MVP.

Ask him, though, and he'll be the first to say the Heat wouldn't have won that ring without Haslem.

"He's old reliable," Wade said.

There's something else, largely unspoken, that links Wade and Haslem as well.

Off-the-court life has not been easy for either player. Wade is wrapped up in a nasty divorce that has gone on for about three years, plus other lawsuits from failed business deals that could wind up costing him millions. Haslem stays largely tightlipped about his personal life, although he's been to more funerals for friends -- many of them victims of violence -- than he'd like to count, and his mother has been in failing health.

The hardships give Haslem strength, and Wade, who often speaks of how the court is his sanctuary from life's real problems, can attest that to be true.

"If I would have folded because my role changed or if I would have folded because of my situation with my mom, I don't think that helps my mom, I don't think that helps me, I don't think that helps my team," Haslem said. "So the best thing to do is persevere like things like that. That's what it's always been about with me."

He'll have options this summer. The Heat would love to keep him, but salary-cap restrictions could dictate Haslem goes elsewhere. After seven years, this postseason maybe -- just maybe -- will be the end for Miami's dynamic duo.

Wade and Haslem don't talk about that. For now, it's all about the playoffs, about Boston, about winning a postseason series for the first time since that night in Dallas nearly four years ago.

"I'll take Udonis on my team," Wade said. "Any day."

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)