Heat lifer Udonis Haslem pulling for friend LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers

Udonis Haslem has been watching the NBA Finals with a rooting interest. 

He wants his buddies LeBron James and James Jones -- former Heat teammates -- to win the NBA title.

That might sound like blasphemy to diehard Heat fans still hung up on the fact James jilted the Heat to return to Cleveland and play hometown hero. But not to Haslem, who obviously still maintains a close relationship with his former Heat teammates.

"I would love to see those guys get a ring," Haslem said Thursday after signing autographs and posing for pictures at one of the Heat's local youth basketball camps at South Broward High School. "If they lose, it's no sweat off my back. But if they win -- obviously with the relationship I have with them -- I'd be very happy for them."

The Cavs entered Game 6 of the NBA Finals Thursday night trailing the Warriors 3-2 in the series. But Haslem said he felt good about Cleveland's chances of pushing the series to at least seven games.

"I've been watching a little bit," Haslem said of the Finals. "Cleveland played great [in Game 5]. LeBron played great. Kyrie [Irving] played great. That's the kind of performance they needed to stay alive. I think they've got a chance tonight. I think they've found something with kind of sliding Richard Jefferson into that starting lineup a little bit. That's kind of worked out well for them. Even with Draymond [Green] in the game I still think its probably their best lineup to start the game with. I think Kevin Love will get going. If he gets going that only makes them more dangerous. But I think they win tonight and I think they push it to seven.

"I wasn't saying that earlier, but I'm singing a different tune now."

Back in March, LeBron paid Haslem quite the compliment when he said the Cavaliers lacked an enforcer like Haslem, who obviously helped James win two titles with the Heat.

Haslem, who turned 36 last week, will become a free agent on July 1. He said last month during the Heat's playoff run he felt like he could have played more minutes than he did this season and was frustrated by his lack of playing time.

Haslem reiterated Thursday he feels like he can give a team "10 to 15 to 20 minutes" a game if needed and that he's in good enough shape to play at least another two seasons. 

At his end of the season press conference last month, team president Pat Riley referred to Haslem as "a forever guy" with the Heat along with Dwyane Wade and Alonzo Mourning.

Still, could you imagine if Haslem left the Heat to join LeBron in Cleveland? I'm not sure how Riley and Heat nation would swallow that one. 

Or, maybe Haslem knows something we don't. Maybe if the Cavs win, LeBron will come back to Miami. 

Or, maybe he's just being a good friend. 

Justise Winslow: "After this summer, I'm going to take a huge leap"

Justise Winslow, recently named to the USA Select Team that will prepare the U.S. Olympic Team this summer in Las Vegas, joined me on 790 The Ticket on Friday.

Here are some highlights:

-- On five former Duke players being part of the Select Team: "It's a nice balanced group. I think I would probably have to play point guard though, which is cool." 

-- On the honor of making that team, coached by Coach K, his coach at Duke: "I was excited. I knew it was a great opportunity for me to really grow as a player, play against a lot of the young talent and a lot of the older more veteran guys. And help the U.S. team prepare any way for the Olympics." 

-- On whether this validates his rookie season: "Yeah, of course. The guys who have been selected have all earned it, so I feel like just being a part of USA the three times before, and just playing well my rookie season helped me earn this spot. And I think everyone earned it. But yeah, I think it definitely means the group at USA Basketball, they saw something good that I was doing out there." 

-- On his confidence, and the line between that and cockiness: "Yeah... I mean, you've got to definitely be confident in your ability, but with me, I'm just always constantly surrounding myself with good players, talented players who are always pushing me. Just the simple fact that I'm constantly surrounded by D-Wade, who is always pushing me to know that there's another level and I can always get better. I'm definitely confident in my game. And I know that after this summer, I'm going to take a huge leap, and make an even bigger impact next season." 

-- On saying at exit interviews that he hoped to be a franchise face someday: "Yeah, definitely. Growing up, that was something I always wanted. And being part of an organization that over the past 10, 13 years has sort of been built around one guy, it's just something to look forward to. I know there's a lot of work to be done. I'm not sure what team it will be with, hopefully with Miami, but eventually I would want to be a franchise guy, a leader on a team and the guy that the organization kind of builds around." 

-- On how hard he took the Game 7 loss in Toronto: "It was really hard. For me, I've won at every level. In the past six years or so, I've only lost once, that was my junior year of high school. Other than that, I've won three state championships, national championship at Duke, three gold meals, so I've never really lost. Just the whole going to the NBA, that was an adjustment. Losing more games during the regular season. That sort of thing. But I've always just been a winner. So it was just tough taking that loss, knowing that the season was over. We had a lot to look back on and be happy and be satisfied with, but just from a competitive standpoint, it's just hard for me to know that we didn't reach our goal." 

-- Does Coach K really text him emoji's?: "Sometimes.... It might be from his grandkids. But maybe like a flex and a basketball and a winky face or something." 

-- How much Ms. Cheezious grilled cheese does he eat?: "During the season, not too much. But I've been there probably twice in the past week. But you can still eat healthy there, so it's all good."

-- Him or Josh Richardson in FIFA video game?: "Me. All day." 

-- What will he prioritize on the court this summer?: "Obviously shooting. But a lot of movement stuff. Being able to move better on the court. I think that will allow me to seamlessly add in the dribble moves, off the dribble, and it will make my shot a lot better. Just being able to move better will help all aspects of my game. It will allow me to be more explosive and make more plays off the dribble." 

Dwyane Wade and his wife Gabrielle Union share a sexy 'bed time' Snapchat

For those of you who haven't seen it yet, Dwyane Wade and his wife Gabrielle Union did a Snapchat segment from their bed a couple nights ago.

The Heat's future Hall of Famer has shared quite a bit this off-season from his personal life. Here's his most intimate glimpse to date.

Heat grant Grizzlies permission to interview assistant Keith Smart

The Miami Heat have granted the Memphis Grizzlies permission to interview assistant coach Keith Smart for a position on David Fizdale's new staff.

Thursday's news comes only days after the Heat denied the Grizzlies permission to interview Dan Craig, who coached the Heat's minor-league affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, to the NBA's Developmental League championship this year. Craig is expected to become coach Erik Spoelstra's lead assistant with Juwan Howard and Chris Quinn rounding out the other two assistant spots on the Heat bench.

Smart, 51, missed a large chunk of the 2015-2016 regular season as he fought a rare form of skin cancer before returning in time for the playoffs. Smart previously coached with Fizdale when the two were assistants with the Golden State Warriors in 2003-04. The Grizzlies announced Wednesday they hired former Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff to be associate head coach and Nick Van Exel as an assistant.

Heat rookie Justise Winslow named to USA Basketball Men's Select Team

Heat forward Justise Winslow was named to USA Basketball's 2016 Men’s Select Team on Tuesday.

The 25-man roster -- made up of nine NBA rookies, nine second-year players, four third-year players and five draft-eligible players -- will train with the 2016 USA Basketball Men’s National Team during its training camp in Las Vegas from July 18-21.

“I feel extremely honored to be named to the 2016 USA Select Team. There really isn't a higher honor than this; to be able to put on that uniform with those three letters on my chest is truly a blessing. I'm excited for this opportunity and can't wait to help our country win gold in Rio.”

Representing his country is nothing new for Winslow. His previous USA Basketball experience includes winning three gold medals during the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, the 2013 FIBA U19 Championship and the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will oversee the Select Team with Spurs assistant Ime Udoka and Villanova head coach Jay Wright as assistant coaches.

Winslow, who was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, is joined on the team by Marcus Smart (Boston), Cody Zeller (Charlotte), Doug McDermott (Chicago), Gary Harris (Denver), Emmanuel Mudiay (Denver), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Detroit), Stanley Johnson (Detroit), Myles Turner (Indiana), Julius Randle (L.A. Lakers), D’Angelo Russell (L.A. Lakers), Jabari Parker (Milwaukee), Zach LaVine (Minnesota), Aaron Gordon (Orlando), Jerami Grant (Philadelphia), Jahlil Oakafor (Philadelphia), Devin Booker (Phoenix), CJ McCollum (Portland), Willie Cauley-Stein (Sacramento), Rodney Hood (Utah), Brandon Ingram (Duke University), Denzel Valentine (Michigan State University), Brice Johnson (University of North Carolina), Kris Dunn  (Providence College) and Malcolm Brogdon (University of Virginia).

David Fizdale gives details of Heat preparing him for Memphis job

After eight seasons as an assistant with the Miami Heat, David Fizdale accepted the head coaching job with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Friday, he appeared on my afternoon show on 790 The Ticket for his first radio interview in South Florida since the move.

Here were some of the highlights...

-- Fizdale says he joked with Heat assistant Juwan Howard about the Memphis Commercial Appeal mistakenly running a photo of Howard as the Grizzlies' new head coach. "We're like brothers. He's just so happy for me right now. We shared so many great memories together, where our families are very close." 

-- He called it "surreal" to pack up his things at AmericanAirlines Arena. "You think about what we accomplished in a short amount of time. I've been next to (Erik Spoelstra) his whole time as a head coach, and him being one of my best friends. To be saying goodbye is a surreal experience. Because I'm super excited obviously to take on this new venture, but it's very difficult to walk away from people you've invested so much into. And you walk down Championship Alley there and there's pictures of me hugging Andy Elisburg and Coach Riley and Spo and players. You take a deep breath and you take it all in. Because it was definitely something to be admired. And I was just happy to be a part of something like that." 

-- What has the Heat's support meant? "It's been incredible. It's actually funny, because after we won the first title, Dwyane (Wade) and LeBron (James) came up to me, right afterwards, and we were celebrating, we had champagne all over us and we just kind of sat back in one of the lockers. And both of them had their arms around me, and said, 'Hey, you got to turn this into a head coaching job right now.' And I looked at both of them, and I asked them if they were both crazy. I said I'm trying to get a couple more championships before I get out of here. So it started then, where they were already trying to support me and push me to that point. But after that, and to accumulate all of the wins and a couple of championships, I can't really describe it to have that kind of support. In professional sports, and in a business atmosphere, to be that close to people and to really be able to say someone is your family, is very rare. And I never take it for granted and I'll always cherish it with those guys." 

-- Why did Fizdale push for the Grizzlies gig, after backing away from other opportunities? Why them, now? He said "they have some players there you can really give yourself a chance to win with." He also got good reviews on people inside the organization. "That right there gave me a comfort level where this was a place I could get to another level or at least take the shot at. And I think my itch, quite honestly. I think at some point every coach gets that itch, where they want to take that jump and they want to challenge themselves to see if they can lead a group of men to the top. I think I was at that point, where the right opportunity and the right time. And I think the fact that I leaned on Riley and I leaned on Spo to tell me what's a good opportunity. You know. It's easy to look at some things. But I leaned on the people that have always been honest with me. And all of these guys say, you know what, that is great window of opportunity, and it will give you a chance to take a shot at it. So I felt very good about going after it whole-heartedly. Those guys really supported me in going after it. They helped me prep for it. Everybody invested in my preparation.... It was just an awesome experience, and I knew this was the place I wanted to be." 

-- What was Spoelstra's preparation for the interview like? "I had a really good feel for the Memphis team going into it. First what he did, he rented out a whole room where he stays at, at the Ritz. And we just made a war room like we would for the playoffs. And we had the white boards and we had our computers out. And whatever I didn't know about the organization, those guys that I mentioned helped me out big time, just giving me as much information about their players, their roster, their cap space, things like that. What Spo really did a great job of helping me do was help me implement the system that I wanted to play in, he helped me connect that to the personnel that they had. And really show them a vision of how I want to use the players they have, while also bringing in the Heat culture that we already know that is a part of our fabric. In 24 hours somehow, those guys, with him spearheading it, they really got me ready for that interview. The best advice he gave me, 'Fiz, you know, you've been here eight years, this is who you are now, this is your fabric, just go in there and be yourself.' And that's what I did. And I think my personality and my views and my values really clicked with those guys and they really clicked with me. And I'm really happy that it worked out."

-- How high did the bidding get with Spoelstra for Heat assistant Dan Craig? After a long laugh.... "Let's put it this way. Spo said no, that was it. Hey, but you better believe I asked. Because Dan Craig, I tell you what, we're watching a star in the making. I take a lot of pride in those guys that worked with us. I really spent a lot of time trying to be a guy that helped develop them. And Dan Craig, I will call him one of my prized jewels. Spo and I will both take a lot of pride in that one, when he gets his shot. He's ready to move into that next spot next to Spo. What he did in the D-League was absolutely incredible this year. I really, I can't explain it. I felt like a blood big brother when he accomplished that. I just had so much pride about him. And he's going to be a heck of a coach. So I tried. I took a shot. And I got shot down quick, which I was expecting. And it's just a credit to Dan that everybody wants him."