Even if guys have been in the NBA and then departed, they never really lose faith of returning back one day. I mean if you have been in the NBA before why not return. That is exactly the kind of mindset Haywood Highsmith (6’6”-F-1996, college: Wheeling) had during his only season overseas in 2020-2021 when he was in Germany balling for up and coming team the Hakro Merlins Crailsheim. The best example of a guy starting in the NBA, coming overseas and returning to the big show was PJ Tucker. He had less than a marvelous rookie season with Toronto where he played only 17 games and found himself overseas the next season. He would actually have to spend 5 seasons in Europe in countries like Israel, Ukraine, Greece and Italy, but saved his best for his last season in Germany with Bamberg where he won the double and was the second best scorer in the BBL. He returned back to the NBA in 2012-2013 and one could say the rest is history as he has stayed for 11 seasons.
Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and PJ Tucker at the 2012 BBL allstar game in Ludwigsburg, Germany
Highsmith didn’t have to wait that long as he joined the Miami Heat in 2021 and has been with them for the last 2 seasons reaching the NBA final in 2023. He remembers having conversations with guys like Trae Bell-Haynes and Jeremy Jones about reaching the big show and if someone had told him in March 2021 when he was living in tiny Crailsheim that he would be a NBA finalist 2 years later he actually would of believed it. ‘I remember Germany well, but it seems like a long time ago. I always knew what I was capable of achieving. I just always continued to work hard. I was in the NBA before and Germany was just a stepping stone to get back. I always knew I could get back’, warned Haywood Highsmith. Even if he didn’t have a great season in Germany averaging 7.9ppg, 4.4rpg, 1.4apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 59.4%, 3PT: 27.6%, FT: 65.1%, his time with the Merlins did wonders for his game. ‘The Euro game is different with so much attention to detail and not so much iso ball. I have to give a lot of credit to Merlins coach Tuomas Iisalo. He is a great mind and would be hard on you. He made sure that you played hard and did all you could to win. The coaching staff pushed me in ways that I didn’t know I could play like that. The time in Germany made me more mentally locked in and forced me to get better. I really appreciate getting a second chance in the NBA’, stressed Haywood Highsmith.
Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Trae Bell-Haynes in Frankfurt in 2021
So for the ex Wheeling Jesuit University (NCAA2) great the plan after his first Europe season was to remain overseas, but with the NBA always being an option. On July 27, 2001 he signed with Italian Seria A team Vanoli Cremonia with an NBA exit option. He was coming off an injury that he had sustained in Germany and just continued to work hard to get healthy. The Europe job seemed logical, but the Basketball God had other ideas. An Exibit 10 offer came from his ex team Philadelphia 76ers and he decided to withdraw from his Italy offer and headed home. ‘I was just trying to control what I could control. Going home and taking the 76ers offer turned out to be the best decision in my life’, said Haywood Highsmith. Even if he was signed and then waived, he never forgot that they had given him his first opportunity in the NBA. ‘It was cool returning back. They knew what I could do and had given me my first shot. There will always be love for them. I appreciate them always for letting me earn my way back’, commented Haywood Highsmith. He signed to play with their G-League team Delaware and had his third tour of duty with them. As usual he was a central figure on the team and averaged 28 minutes averaging 13.3ppg, 5.2rpg, 2.1apg, 1.1spg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 61.6%, 3PT: 39.1%, FT: 69.7%. His stats were similar to his first two seasons, but his three was falling more consistently. His role was the same as the first 2 times, but this time something had changed with his game. ‘I continued to be that versatile player that could defend, shoot and rebound. You know doing a little of everything for my team. The major difference this time to the first two times was that I took more advantage of the opportunity. I was playing better at both ends of the court and was a leader’, expressed Haywood Highsmith. After playing 12 G-League games including having a 30point explosion against South Bay, he signed a 10 day contract on December 30th with the Miami Heat.
So after more than 30 months away from the NBA, the guard who lists Shake Milton as one of his best teammates of all-time was back at the big show suiting up in Houston for a game. It was a memorable game as he contributed 9 points in 15 minutes in a 120-110 victory. ‘That we won is really all that mattered. I first tried to make an impact on defense and then my teammates found me on offense. It was important fitting in with the team as best I could’, remembered Haywood Highsmith. It was also a great feeling being reunited with NBA superstar Jimmy Butler again. ‘I have known Jimmy since my rookie season with the 76ers when I was in the G-League. He was the same guy in Miami. He always wants to win at all costs. It doesn’t matter what he is doing like playing cards or whatever, he always wants to win. He is the ultimate competitor. He is one of the toughest guys I have met on the court. And he continues to get better. It is an amazing feeling to see his growth. He showed last season that he can take his team all the way to the final. I’m very proud of him and look up to him’, stressed Haywood Highsmith. He would sign a second 10 day contract and after that was rewarded with a 3 year deal. ‘It was a great feeling for me. I’m really happy that they saw a gem in me’, stated Haywood Highsmith. He had many young teammates, but also one veteran who was back in the NBA like him after being overseas with Mario Chalmers. ‘Mario is one of the legends of the winning team that had Lebron, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. He is a great veteran and still had some gas in his tank. He has a great mind to listen to because he has a lot wisdom. It was great that he got the call back so late in his career. He is a savage guy’, warned Haywood Highsmith. He finished his second NBA season playing 27 games averaging 1,9ppg and 1,1rpg. He scored in double figures once netting 16 points in a loss against Orlando.
The flashy shooter who names Jordan, Lebron, Kobe, Bird and Magic on his personal own NBA Rushmore wanted to show that his second NBA season was no fluke and came to the 2022 NBA Summer League ready to battle. He didn’t disappoint as he averaged 13.7ppg, 6.0rpg, 2.3apg, 1.7spg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 83.3%, 3PT: 20.0%, FT: 90.0%. He enjoyed playing the game plus having the insane atmosphere of the city off the court. ‘I came to Vegas to focus as best I could and how I could help the team best and be a good leader. I showcased what I can do and showed Pat Riley that I can hoop and have fun at the same time. I got a lot more minutes and had the green light. I was one of the older guys and showed I deserved a bigger role’, stated Haywood Highsmith. In his second season with the Miami Heat, he made a drastic turn in games and minutes played per game. His games total went from 29 to 72 and he played 9 minutes more than the previous season. In his first 6 games, he played only a total of 32 minutes, but in his seventh game played 42 minutes scoring 12 points and hauled down 14 boards in a tough 107-106 loss to Washinton. ‘I started off slow, but then picked up my game bringing more toughness to the court. I often had to guard the other team’s best player. I had assignments guarding Durant, Giannis and Jayson Tatum. I wanted to be that great 3 and D player and get the 50/50 balls. I wanted to be that PJ Tucker in a sense, but at the same time also be myself’, warned Haywood Highsmith. He then played 9 games in a row where he never played less than 20 minutes and also had 38 and 34 minute games. But there were also times where he didn’t play much or had to accept a DNP. He had 28 games where he played less than 10 minutes. ‘It’s tough. You want to be as consistent as possible in the minutes you get. You have to always be ready and can only control what you can control. The most important thing for me was being able to make an impact and be a leader’, remembered Haywood Highsmith. He played against superstars every night so after a while it was nothing special. He battled against Luka Doncic and doesn’t consider him a top 3 player yet and watched Lebron from the bench. ‘Luka is one of the young superstars in the league and has been a pro since he was a teenager. He is an all around great player. At the moment he is top 10 in the world. Lebron is cool. I’m not going to be a fan boy if I saw him on the court. I would say good game to him if I was on the court’, said Haywood Highsmith.
The ex Hakro Merlins guard who believes that it could be tough for a young American team winning the World Cup Gold, but thinks they can then went into the post season with little expectations. But after 13 games, the Miami Heat suddenly found themselves in the NBA final. The Heat began sweeping the favorite Milwaukee Bucks, but in his eyes this wasn’t an upset. ‘We didn’t see it as an upset, because we were a very good team. Of course it’s not normal for an 8th seed to win a series like that, but we matched up well and we always knew we could beat them. We had that next team mentality that helped us’, added Haywood Highsmith. Then came the exciting series against the Boston Celtics. The Heat took a rapid 3-0 lead, but it seemed like Boston was destined to be the first team ever to win 4-3 after being down 0-3. Boston took it one game at a time and tied the series 3-3 going back into their living room with the momentum. But Boston destructed and fell apart losing the must win game. He played 4 times against Boston and had to try to slow down Jayson Tatum. ‘He is a great player that is a 3 level scorer. He is the future of the NBA and a future top 3 player. It’s not easy to control him, because he has so many offensive weapons. You have to try to contest his shot as much as possible’, warned Haywood Highsmith. In the final they ran out of gas against Denver. One could sense that this was a really tough loss for him, because he seriously had difficulty finding a clear answer to why they lost the series. ‘We played well, but they just played better than us. They made a good run’, said Haywood Highsmith. He chipped in with some fine offensive performances including netting 18 points against Boston and 15 against Denver, but had to accept losing the games. ‘It’s tough not really being able to enjoy the good personal games when you lose. The object is to win. I will always take a win over individual play. But it was still cool to score well against those teams. It showed that I’m good enough to play against these teams. I’m proud of myself’, stated Haywood Highsmith.
He finished his third NBA season averaging 4,1ppg and 2,9 rpg and scored in double figures in 10 games. He was very proud how the team played having a bunch of undrafted guys and how he could make new strides in his game under head coach Erik Spoelstra. ‘We showed last season that we had to do it the hard way. We were successful with very good communication and paid very close attention to every little detail. We were always locked in. We understood that we could always win with our defense even when we were in the mud. I feel like I did a better job paying attention to detail and being able to play smooth in our offense. Coach pushed me to the little things well and get more out of me. Physically I was stronger and in the best shape of my life. I have to give a lot of credit to the Heat organization for helping me in so many areas. We are a perfect fit’, warned Haywood Highsmith. Now he will return back for a third season with the Miami Heat who will want to show that last season was no fluke. The American has a clear path of what he wants to see himself achieving in 2023-2024. ‘I want to get more minutes. I also want to keep improving and be a consistent 3 and D player. I want to be a difference maker and just be myself’, warned Haywood Highsmith. It will be interesting to see what strides his game will make next. He proved in his first 2 seasons that his fine play was rewarded with more minutes as his role rose. There is no reason why this won’t continue to happen in year 3 in Miami.
German Hoops 