Basketball legends Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem have teamed up twice in their lives, for two years at the University of Florida and three more years with the Miami Heat later in their careers. Now, they're doing it a third time — just not on the court.
Their new podcast, "The OGs" from Playmaker HQ, which debuts on their YouTube channel this week, promises to give fans an inside look at the lives and experiences of two champions with more than 37 years of combined NBA experience and five championships between them.
Both Miller and Haslem look at the podcast as a way to share their vast NBA wisdom with the next generation of stars. They'll also look provide insight into the games and lives of young players, entertainers, and entrepreneurial visionaries.
"What we going to be talking about?" Miller asks in the debut episode. "Everything we lived and kind of passing the message down! Trying to help all the young kids! What real OGs are supposed to do? Help them up! Keep them moving!”
Haslem said he realized the need for him to build a platform to share his experiences from how many players had reached out to him over the years.
"I have experience, a lot to talk about, I’m old as hell, you know what I'm saying?" Haslem says. "So, I'm an OG; a lot of people call me the OG! Through my years in the league, I got a little older, I started realizing a lot of these young guys were reaching out to me through social media, DMs, and all those different things for advice and questions. You know, so, I understand that knowledge is power, knowledge is valuable; I got a lot of knowledge, so I want to speak on a lot of these topics."
Miller, a 17-year veteran who played for seven different clubs, including the Heat where he won two titles in 2012 and 2013 alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and the "Heatles" team, was instrumental for young teams late in his career, including the Denver Nuggets where he formed a bond with future NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
Haslem spent 20 seasons with the Heat, helping the team to its first franchise title in 2006, and was an essential voice on the team that made three conference finals appearances and two NBA Finals in the past four years before he retired this past June.
Building chemistry won't be a problem for the two longtime friends.
"That's my dog!" Haslem says. "When you talk about my strengths and his weaknesses, I think we both strengthen each other. I think he's more laid back, and I think I’m more upbeat and passionate about it. So, I think we just we just work well together. Obviously, we have history; it's organic and authentic; we got a real friendship, a real brotherhood. So it just flows; we got stories to tell. You know what I mean? For days! And not just college stories, but we go over to the NBA!"
"So, me and Mike’s journey literally started with high school, when I first saw him play in a tournament in Vegas," Haslem goes on to explain. "We end up being roommates in college, then were playing together in the league, so we got so many stories to tell. "
In their debut episode, they cover everything from thoughts on the NBA In-Season Tournament to Draymond Green's on-court incidents. Haslem, who feels like Green is cut from a similar cloth, was disappointed in the All-Star's most recent suspension.
"There's only so many warriors in this league, guys that are going to take that tech, going to take that foul, and protect their teammates," Haslem said. "We don't start it. We ain't bullies. We don't look for it. We don't initiate it. We are guys that prevent it."
Haslem's reputation for protecting his teammates precedes him dating back to the Heat's playoff rivalries with the Pacers in the early 2010s.
"David West, (Tyler) Hansbrough, (Roy) Hibbert, Paul George … respect. I love to see them do their thing. I wish no harm on them. I don't f*** with them," Haslem said of those battles between Indiana and Miami in the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Miller described his decision to sign with the Heat in 2012 based on his disappointment with "lacing up shoes in October and knowing you're not going to be playing in June."
With so much experience and so many connections to the NBA universe, viewers are sure to love learning about the real challenges and solutions to life in the NBA from the two OGs.
