Throughout his career, Udonis Haslem averaged 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds. He never made the squad of All-Stars. Never had a double or triple. Never committed to a deal that was even remotely maximum. Never once received a player of the week nomination.
The statistics may appear typical.
And yet, he will always be legendary to the Miami Heat.
The Miami native saw his now-retired No. 40 jersey raised to the rafters on Friday night, marking the culmination of a career that saw him go from undrafted to nearly unmatched. The Miami native spent his entire 20-year career with the Heat, playing as captain in 16 of his seasons and being a part of three championship teams.
He is one of just three players who has played for the same team for at least 20 years throughout their career. The others are Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas.
“Don’t you all have the money on me when I cry? Haslem remarked, “I know you all think I’m going to cry.” Yes, it is difficult. It’s challenging. It’s challenging. It’s been an utter honour, Heat Nation, guy.
And then, inside a pitch-black arena, he paused to wipe his eyes, clearly welling with tears behind his sunglasses. He was too emotional to read the prepared speech, so he just spoke off the top of his head, thanking his family, his old teammates, and almost every employee of the company.
Haslem also honoured the entire Miami area code (305).
He said, “You have to hold up the 305.” “We all celebrate tonight, 305.”
As the sixth player to have their jersey retired by the Heat, Haslem is currently a vice president of player development for the team and hopes to one day become an owner of the franchise. The others are Alonzo Mourning (No. 33), Tim Hardaway (No. 10), Shaquille O’Neal (No. 32), Chris Bosh (No. 1), and Dwyane Wade (No. 3).
The Heat have already declared that they will eventually retire No. 6 in honour of LeBron James, so Haslem’s won’t be the last. The preceding five Heat players to get retired jerseys are already members of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Additionally, according to Heat President Pat Riley, Haslem’s legacy ought to be honoured.
Riley remarked, “Udonis Haslem’s force mattered and it counted.” “Undonis Haslem is going to leave a very big footprint, and that’s one of the reasons we’re hanging his jersey here today.”
A $50,000 donation from the Heat charitable fund to his foundation, a replica of the retirement banner, a commemorative jersey, and three new seats in the arena in memory of Haslem’s late mother, father, and stepmother were among the several presents.
When Haslem retired following the conclusion of the previous season, he was 43 years old and the franchise’s all-time leader in rebounds. When the Heat faced the Nuggets in the NBA Finals last year, two days before his 43rd birthday, he also made history as the oldest player to play in a Finals game.
He played in a total of 65 regular-season games over his last seven NBA seasons, and some pundits often questioned why Haslem was still an active player. The Heat laughed at such criticism, insisting that Haslem’s value in the locker room, on the practice court and as a mentor was invaluable.
“He spent 20 years with one organization and helped everyone he could for those 20 years,” said Goran Dragic, one of the many former teammates who was at Friday’s ceremony. “He deserves this.”
“He was the glue,” said Heat centre Bam Adebayo, who took over as Miami’s captain this season after Haslem. He was the centre of attention for everyone, but many people become lost in the numbers and who averages the highest. Furthermore, I believe that a team’s glue people are its most crucial members.
In an effort to honour Haslem’s tenacity and his contributions to the league, Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley expressed his wish to have attended the ceremony.
“It just goes to show the impact that you can have when you don’t make it about you on an organisation, on a community, and on the players around you,” Mosley stated. And I don’t think anyone has better exemplified that than him. It has to do with the “Heat Culture,” his identity, and his place in Dade County and the community. He is that way by nature.
Everywhere you go in the arena the Heat call home, there are enormous reminders of the things that Haslem accomplished in his 20 years. Photographs depicting him with NBA championship trophies, a Gatorade bucket thrown over Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s head to celebrate a title, and a stream of blood streaming from his temple following a playoff match versus Indiana are all available.
Spoelstra declared, “The Miami Heat organisation will always celebrate his legacy and we’ll educate people on his legacy.” Additionally, the league values his legacy. I’m hoping that this is acknowledged and recognised across the league so that the younger players in this new generation may grasp what it is to be an all-time winner.
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