Up to now, NBA history has only had 3 players who spent their entire 20-year career with the same team, creating a symbol of loyalty.
First is the late legend Kobe Bryant in the Los Angeles Lakers shirt from 1996 to 2016, followed by German legend Dirk Nowitzki playing for the Dallas Mavericks from 1998 to 2019.
The third name is Udonis Haslem, a pioneer who has played for 2 decades and gone through 3 different eras with the Miami Heat Club (from 2002 to 2023).
Although he did not leave much of an impression in terms of statistics or personal stats, Udonis Haslem was an extremely important member of the Miami Heat throughout his 20 years of playing.
During this time, “UD” went through three different eras of the Miami team. The first was the Dwyane Wade – Shaquille O’Neal era, then the LeBron James – Wade – Chris Bosh era. This is especially the era led by Jimmy Butler.
But no matter what big stars Miami Heat has, Udonis Haslem is still considered a “big brother” in the team’s locker room thanks to his professionalism in training and matches.
Something not many people know is that Udonis Haslem played the Heat’s captain for 16 consecutive seasons, starting in 2007 until he retired in 2023.
He officially retires at the end of the 2022-23 season, marking the end of his journey to bring home 3 NBA championship rings, 7 top positions in the East and 12 top spots in the Southeast region of the United States.
Personally, Haslem is the player with the most rebounds in club history, and is second in number of matches, number of appearances in the starting lineup and number of minutes played.
In addition, Udonis Haslem also had 147 matches in the Playoffs round, the highest number in NBA history for a player not selected in the NBA Draft.
To pay tribute to the contributions and loyalty of the “old guard”, Miami Heat will permanently retire Udonis Haslem’s shirt number 40. The ceremony will be held on January 20, 2024, specifically at halftime between the Heat’s game and the Atlanta Hawks.
“ Udonis has left a special legacy for the club. He is a top professional player, a worthy member of the NBA championship team and especially a true leader.
We are very happy to have Udonis Haslem as a part of Miami Heat’s history and will be extremely proud to witness this special moment of retiring ,” club president Pat Riley shared.
Highlights the final regular season match of Udonis Haslem’s career in April
Born and raised in Miami, Udonis Haslem fulfilled his wish when he spent his entire NBA career playing for the Miami Heat.
He will become the sixth player to retire, joining Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.
Now after retiring, Haslem is the director of the club’s youth training program, fueling and giving wings to the dreams of the next generations.
