Former NBA player Chris “Birdman” Andersen filled a much-needed role on the Miami Heat during his tenure with the Miami Heat, helping the team win an NBA championship the very same year he signed with them in 2013. As a 6’10,” 245-pound big man, Andersen was one of the premiere rim protectors and shot blockers on the Heat and was a vital component to a team that included such stars as LeBron James, Ray Allen and Chris Bosh. He also brought an intensity to the Heat team that more than fired up the squad when they were on the hardwood, like his altercation with Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough during a Miami vs. Indiana match-up in the summer of his first season.
Andersen’s intensity and unique look (he was tatted up and sported a huge mohawk) also helped him play one more role on the Heat squad, much to the amusement of his former teammates Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem: team heartthrob.
“Y’all was some cold white boys, but y’all ain’t had a fan base like Birdman had,” Haslem told current Heat star Tyler Herro on the latest episode of The OGs Podcast.” “He had all biker chicks and MMA girls.”
Although rim-rattling dunks and leather-swatting blocks were showstopping aspects of Andersen’s game, apparently the devotion from Birdman’s female fans became so overzealous at times that they literally had to stop games from being played.
“We had to, like, take timeouts in the game because girls were throwing panties on the floor,” Miller revealed to Herro, who played up his incredulity — making the whole situation even more humorous, as Herro’s known for being a popular figure among female fans himself.
“I’d rather have what Birdman got going on,” Herro said, laughing.
“Yeah, Birdman had that rock star sh** going on,” Haslem added.
During his first season with Miami, the Heat went 37-3 in the regular season games where he played, including a 27-game winning streak (only 6 games behind the 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers record of 33 straight). Andersen was essential during that 2013 postseason, averaging 6.4 points on 80.7 percent shooting, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks. He also had an average of 2.8 pairs of women’s panties thrown on the floor at him per game, an NBA record.
Another interesting fact: Andersen’s WS/48, or Win Shares per 48 minutes in 2013 for the Heat was 0.3086, the 13th highest in history, putting Birdman in the company of such prestigious players as LeBron, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan.
Are you surprised at the overzealousness of Chris “Birdman” Andersen’s female fan base? Let us know in the comments.
