Udonis Haslem, in his 20 years in the NBA, averaged 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds. But on Saturday (PHL) the Miami Heat organization retired the 43-year-old's No. 40 jersey.
Haslem's contribution to the Heat's success goes so much more beyond the stats.
Haslem's No. 40 heads to the rafters in Miami 👏pic.twitter.com/LYCeoRpb4H
— NBA (@NBA) January 20, 2024
For Miami and the Heat culture, the jersey retirement was incredibly deserved.
"You all got the money on me crying, don’t y’all? I know you all think I’m going to cry," Haslem said, as reported by the Associated Press.
"Yeah, it’s hard. It’s hard. It’s hard. Heat Nation, it’s been an absolute honor, man."
In honor of Udonis Haslem’s jersey retirement ceremony tonight, take a look at some of his top plays throughout his career with the @MiamiHEAT! pic.twitter.com/mIHC8bKV8R
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) January 19, 2024
He is the sixth player to have his jersey retired by the Heat, along with Chris Bosh (No. 1), Dwyane Wade (No. 3), Tim Hardaway (No. 10), Shaquille O'Neal (No. 32), and Alonzo Mourning (No. 33).
"Udonis Haslem, his force mattered and it counted," Heat President Pat Riley said. "And that’s one of the reasons why we’re hanging his jersey here today... Udonis Haslem is going to leave a very big footprint."
During his later years with the Heat, there have been multiple questions from pundits and on social media, wondering why Miami kept Haslem's spot as the last man on the bench. In the 2022-23 season, he only played seven games, averaging 3.9 points and 1.6 rebounds.
But ask the players. Ask his teammates. They know. He's their guiding voice from the bench and inside the dugout.
"Like real, real leadership, and what it means to be Miami in every single way," said Jimmy Butler in an NBA compilation.
"(Haslem) has become so much more than a three-time champion. He is the ultimate leader," added coach Erik Spoelstra.
"He is the heartbeat for the team," said LeBron James, who won two championships with the Heat.
"When he steps up to say something, everybody listens," chimed in Dwyane Wade.
“He is the ultimate leader.”
— NBA (@NBA) January 19, 2024
Udonis Haslem’s former teammates and Coach Spoelstra express their gratitude towards Haslem’s impact on the Heat’s culture 🗣? pic.twitter.com/lSHzs6lgGh
He is Miami's all-time rebounding leader and was the league's oldest active player when he retired last season.
"He was the glue. A lot of people get lost in the stats, who averages the most, but he was the glue for everybody... And I feel like the glue guys are the most important guys on a team," Heat center Bam Adebayo reflected.
For Spoelstra, Haslem's legacy will forever be taught as a part of the famed Heat culture.
"My hope is this gets acknowledged and recognized throughout the league... so this new generation of younger players can understand what being an all-time winner can look like," he said.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
