Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside proved one of the best stories in the NBA last season. Emerging from the treacherous depths of D-League and overseas detritus, Whiteside took the league by storm to become an impact two-way force for the Heat. His true coming out party came on January 11, 2015 in a game against the Bulls. Whiteside dominated Chicago all afternoon, recording a triple-double (the first of his career) with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and a Miami franchise-record 12 blocks in a 96-84 Heat victory. After the game, Whiteside was asked about his performance by sideline reporter Heather Cox. His response is now legendary: “I’m just trying to get my NBA 2K rating up.”
Now the quote has been immortalized and Whiteside himself is the one adding to the myth.
The 26-year-old center showed up to the Heat’s Summer League game in Las Vegas on Monday sporting a T-shirt with his famous quip inscribed on the front.
.@youngwhiteside in the building! #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/dToQ4o9eOJ
— NBA (@NBA) July 14, 2015
Whiteside’s 2K rating currently sits at a healthy 81 after he finished the 2014-15 season with averages of 11.8 points per game, 10.0 rebounds per game, and 2.6 blocks per game on 62.8 percent shooting from the field. But with the chip on his shoulder he constantly plays with after having 29 teams pass on him, you can bet that Whiteside will be looking to build on those averages and that rating in his contract year with the Heat next season.
It should be a fun ride for Whiteside with the Heat putting together a world-class offseason this summer. After a bit of Duke luck with Justise Winslow falling to them in last June’s draft and Luol Deng opting in for next season, Miami was able to bring back their star-studded backcourt duo of Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade. They also got fantastic veteran depth to strategically deploy off their bench with former Phoenix Suns Gerald Green and Amar’e Stoudemire both signing with the Heat for the veteran’s minimum. Whiteside has been sure to express his excitement for the coming season on Twitter:
I'm just chilling watching #Heatnation make power moves ☕️🐸
— Hassan Whiteside (@youngwhiteside) July 12, 2015
Don't sleep on this line up @DwyaneWade @Goran_Dragic @LuolDeng9 @chrisbosh @youngwhiteside one of the toughest squads in the east
— D®ew™ (@Drewkleiman) July 13, 2015
Nah let them sleep we going to wake them up !!! #HeatNation https://t.co/fOrLCEZqq2
— Hassan Whiteside (@youngwhiteside) July 13, 2015
With the Heat primed to contend in the East after a disappointing, injury-marred 2014-15 campaign, Whiteside’s 2K rating might not be the only thing going up in South Beach in the near future.
