Miami Heat big man Hassan Whiteside captured the headlines with his surprising talent and insane double-doubles but now he’s making headlines for a negative reason. On Monday Whiteside was ejected for the second time in a single week for this blatant and mindless cheap shot on the Boston Celtics’ Kelly Olynyk. Following the game, Whiteside’s teammate Dwyane Wade ripped into him for his selfish and unreliable behavior.
A clearly frustrated Whiteside chased Olynyk who was helping baseline on defense, and drove his forearm into the back of Olynyk’s neck. Whiteside received a flagrant-2 for the offense, and it was well deserved– Olynyk could’ve been seriously hurt.
Kelly Olynyk said, “I don’t even know what happened there… I just got up.” He also says they weren’t jawing so apparently the hit was unprovoked.
The Heat are short on big men and need Whiteside to be in the game. Wade was visibly upset about Whiteside getting ejected again and sounded off.
via Heat reporter Chris Wittyngham:
“He’s had enough veteran advice. There comes a time where you have to do it yourself. There’s only so many words people can continue to say to you. You gotta do it. Not for you, you gotta do it for the other guys in here that you see sacrificing. That you see out there playing hurt and all the things that are going on. You’re part of a team. You’re part of an organization. We all have our moments, selfish moments. But you can’t continue to keep having them, because you gotta be reliable and you gotta be able to be counted on. And right now, if he continues to act that way then he’s not reliable.”
Some people feel Wade is a hypocrite considering all the dirty plays and cheap shots he’s taken at players over the years but he is right about Whiteside needing to keep his cool so he can stay in the game.
h/t USA Today
