Miami Heat ain't afraid of no ghosts

Udonis Haslem makes it clear that he ain't afraid of no ghosts. But that doesn't mean the Miami Heat forward isn't willing to give a resident poltergeist his distance.

With Oklahoma City lacking the Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons level of accommodations the Heat are used to, these NBA Finals against the Thunder have delivered them to the century-old Skirvin Hilton.

And that has delivered them to the gates of …..

Well, it depends on what you choose to believe.

According to local legend, the hotel's original owner, W.B. Skirvin, had an affair with a maid that resulted in a pregnancy. Supposedly, to protect his reputation she was locked in a room on the 10th floor. According to the tale, not recorded at the time in any manner, she grew despondent and eventually jumped out a window with the baby in her arms.

Since then? Strange noises and other reports of paranormal activity. Or not.

But plenty of NBA legend, from Boston Celtics forward Brandon Bass insisting on a nightlight for his stays to Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson reporting his bathroom door mysteriously slamming in the middle of the night.

Haslem, though, said he can appreciate sharing his space, need be.

"I'm a pretty good guy, man. I respect everybody's space," he said. "If that's the ghost's room and they come pop up on me like that and he says it's his spot, he can have it. There's plenty other rooms.

"I don't want to be in a room where somebody died or was locked up for 10 years or whatever the story's supposed to be. I don't want that room."

Skirvin Hilt

He said he has slept fine these past few nights.

"I would have to see that to believe that," he said. "Not saying it doesn't exist, but I just need to see that with my own eyes. If I see it, maybe I'll believe it then."

The Heat also utilize the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, which also is said to be haunted.  In that case, guests have claimed seeing the ghost of hotel founder Charles Pfister looking over the lobby from the grand staircase.

Haslem said he just turns the lights out and calls it a night.

"That place is supposed to be haunted, too," he said of the Heat's Milwaukee accommodations. "I don't know, man. Maybe the ghosts just choose not to come to my room."

Heat forward Shane Battier said it wouldn't even matter if there was a supernatural visitor.

"I'm such a heavy sleeper," he said. "I have two kids, so I've learned to feign a deep sleep so my wife has to wake up with the kids. It's going to take a little more than a ghost to wake me up in the middle of the night."

As it is, 28 visiting NBA teams choose to make the Skirvin their Oklahoma City home.

Of course, there also are other horror stories.

"What haunts me," former Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said a season ago of his Oklahoma City visits, "are guys like Kevin Durant."

Source: Sun Sentinel