It takes a special kind of player to play for the Miami Heat . With the franchise’s emphasis on discipline and physical conditioning in what is known in NBA circles as “Heat culture,” only the strongest and most dedicated athletes thrive in Miami’s system.
More so, it takes extraordinary will and guts to undergo a workout personally supervised by renowned taskmaster Pat Riley and live to tell the tale. That was precisely what former Heat center Hassan Whiteside endured in his effort to land a spot on the team in 2014.
Whiteside’s workout in front of Riley
Although the 7-foot center was drafted in the second round by Sacramento in the 2010 NBA Draft, his career was going nowhere—he played in a total of 19 games for the Kings before getting waived in 2012. Hassan then played in the D-League before heading overseas to play in leagues in Lebanon and China.
After trying out for the Memphis Grizzlies and getting cut, the former Marshall star tried his luck in Miami, which proved to be a turning point in his career, especially when Pat himself oversaw his workout.